Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness
by Kadi219
Summary: Raydor/Flynn - Sequel to "More than Luck". No spoilers, but like the first story, it is AU after Episode 2x16. This takes place several months after the end of the previous story. Sharon takes Andy to meet her family, and along the way, they navigate family life and all the realities of a life together.
1. Chapter 1

Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness

By Kadi

Rated T

A/N: Sequel to "More than Luck". I want to thank everyone who commented on that story. You were all very kind, and your words meant a lot to me.

In this one, I decided to explore more of the family element, and I hope that I maintained what you liked about the first story. For those of you who followed Mary McDonnell to _Major Crimes_ from _BSG_ - yes, it's _that_ Bill. That relationship may have changed slightly here, but he's still _family_.

As to Sharon's age, I understand that Mary McDonnell is sixty-one, but I have such a hard time reconciling that when she doesn't _look_ like she's that age. I can only hope to look _half_ that good when I'm her age! For that reason, I've placed the character in her fifties.

Enjoy!

* * *

Summerland was just a little coastal village near Santa Barbara, a little tourist spot that saw visitors year round. The village was busiest during the spring and summer months as vacationers poured into the state, but maintained regular traffic during the off-season months, when state residents visited the quaint little spot. Retired Appellate Court Judge Patrick Cavanagh and his wife Miranda kept a cottage on the beach. They had bought the house and the little strip of beachside property many years before, when the oil companies had pulled out and the land was selling cheap. Environmental agencies had swept in, giving residents and potential buyers grants and assistance in cleaning up the beach and properties and shaping what was once a working community that served Santa Barbara into the popular tourist spot that it was now.

Positioned as it was along the 101, Pacific Coast Highway, travelers often chose the village as a place to stop while outside the larger city of Santa Barbara as they moved on their way from Los Angeles to San Francisco, or farther north. The Cavanaghs wanted a quiet place to vacation with their family, some place warmer than the snow laden mountains of Utah, where they spent the winter holidays, and the bustle of every day life in Los Angeles. At the time, their children were very small, and the strip of beach and coastal sand dunes gave their two sons and daughters plenty of room to run wild. At that time, during the sixties and seventies, their children had been able to intermingle with the townies and tourists, other children their own age, never lacking for fun and activity - be it inside the village or along the beach.

As the kids grew older, it became a retreat, Judge Cavanagh and his wife could drive north for a weekend and open the beach house for themselves. As their kids left home for school, they used it, along with their friends, for long weekends and school vacations at a time in their lives when coming home was considered _boring_ and _uncool_. Then they began to marry, first the eldest son, David, a lawyer with a bright career ahead of him, and later Helen, who had studied and strived to become a surgeon, at a time when there were so few women holding those positions. Alan had gone into the military, made a career for himself as a pilot, and married his wife while in his thirties. It was Alan who had brought Bill into their lives, the serious natured, and handsome Army pilot that they thought, for a time, was meant for their youngest daughter and middle child, Sharon. It was not Bill that she had married, however, but his younger brother. The too charming, smooth talking Jackson.

The Judge didn't like to think too much on that, or how the change had come about. There was some history there, and Bill was still a family friend. He had questioned his youngest son on it only once, and Alan had only shrugged and stated that Bill wouldn't date his friend's sister, however much he wanted to. He married later, raised children of his own, but the Judge always remained of the opinion that he would have been a better match for his girl, he was certainly the better man of the two. How that lying moron, Jackson, had ever managed to slip beneath his daughter's radar he would never understand. Unfortunately, it was one of the hardest truths of parenting, you couldn't remove the regret and pain of your children's' mistakes. You could only watch and help where they'd let you, where you could.

Lord only knew how often he and his wife had tried to talk her out of it. Right up until the day she married the lazy ne'er do well. His daughter was stubborn, she wouldn't listen to reason, and that was a trait that he knew only too well she had inherited from him. It came with a healthy dose of pride, another trait that was all his. He could only thank the heavens above that there was enough of her mother's understanding and compassion in her to temperance it all out. It was too late to change any of it by the time they realized just how much of a moron the man truly was. By the time Richard was born, he could see that _she_ had seen it. Judge Cavanagh could only be proud of the woman she had become, she hadn't run home to them, although he would have gladly taken her. She tried, even when he and her mother began to hear the rumors from the other kids, and the regretful, disappointed look in the man's own brother's eyes that Jackson was drinking too much, spending too little time at home, and pushing them further into debt with his trips to the horse races.

The Judge was ready to pay the man to stay away when their little Katherine was born and Jackson was too drunk to remember his wife was pregnant, much less near enough to being in labor that he should have been closer to home rather than laid out in a bar or race track somewhere. Helen had been with her sister, along with Alan's wife Susan, and both girls had been sworn to secrecy about the matter until Sharon was home from the hospital with Katherine, but it had come out as those things were like to do. Jackson left on his own a few years later, although the Judge had a feeling Sharon's brothers and Bill had something to do with that. They weren't speaking, neither was their sister or their wives, and if Sharon suspected she wasn't saying anything either.

It was a year before the papers were drawn up. A long year, filled with too much heartache. During the time following Jackson's leaving, Sharon had realized that the house was mortgaged up to her eyeballs, he had cleaned out their savings, the checking accounts, and the little college funds that they had started for the children. It was only fortunate that he hadn't been able to touch the trusts that Patrick and his wife had started for their grandchildren. Jack had left her with nothing but debt and two children to raise. Try though he had, the Judge had attempted to purchase the house, settle the debts, and put them back on their feet again but Sharon had refused. Instead, he and the rest of the family had watched while she worked their way out of that hole, although he and his wife suspected that Bill had helped. The man was too stubborn to take her no for an answer. The Judge had a feeling her brothers and helped as well, at least in the early years.

As time wore on, she had saved, invested, and David had worked with that lawyer friend of hers, Gavin Baker, to draw up the papers which legally separated her from the husband she would not yet divorce. No one in their family had ever divorced before, and despite the rest of the family being more than okay with the idea, Sharon had not been ready to take that step just yet.

They watched Jackson come and go from the family over the years; watched while those visits became fewer and farther between. If he was conspicuously absent from family gatherings and vacations, it wasn't mentioned. It was more than telling that even his own children stopped mentioning him as they grew older. Aunt Sharon's absent husband became the thing that the other kids quickly learned not to ask about.

The Judge hoped that young Ricky would follow his cousins and Uncle David into law, but instead he had followed his mother into police work. It was honest work. He never had any reason to not be proud of the careers his children had chosen, or his grandchildren. There were doctors among them, lawyers, one of his granddaughters was a teacher, while another had gone into advertising, and of course there was the dancer. Among them too, there had been others to join the force.

It was a long, well lived life, and Judge Patrick Cavanagh, nor his wife Miranda, could complain at the result. From four children they had been given eleven grandchildren, and already there were three great grandchildren. It made for a large extended family, and chaotic family gatherings, when all of them could be present. It had been a long time since that was the case, more often, the children and grandchildren spent time with their other families, or were pulled away by work and responsibility.

He and Miranda weren't going to be around forever, though, and the days of having the family together was drawing closer and closer to an end. It was the reason he had drawn them all to Summerland as soon as he could arrange it. The summons had been sent out for a gathering that Memorial Day weekend, and the family knew when it came from Grandpa, or when it came from His Honor. A summons to court by His Honor did not go unheeded. If his days drew to an end, Patrick wanted to be able to go knowing he'd had his family under one roof at least once more. Although he was still healthy as a horse, Miranda too. They were in their eighties now, nearing ninety, and couldn't find a complaint as to health - beyond the normal, slower bodies and aching joints.

The nature of the growing family was the reason that, over the years, the old beach house had been added on to. The original three bedrooms had doubled after the kids started marrying off and having children of their own. Later, David had built a second house, further down the beach on the property owned by the family. Between twelve bedrooms, and two large family rooms big enough for camp beds, they managed; while the family was comfortable financially they were not overly wealthy. Both houses were large, but they were not fortresses by any means. It was Summerland, California, not Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.

The Judge knew that he was being more introspective lately. He supposed that was to be expected. It had already proven to be an interesting year. Ricky and Katie had bypassed the time share in Park City to spend Christmas with their mother, and that boy she had taken in that he and the others had yet to meet. They were a little bit skeptical about him, given what had been in the news. Patrick and done some digging, however. He still had friends in his old appellate district - which Los Angeles had been the seat of.

Before he made any decisions he wanted to lay eyes on the kid. Ricky and Katie spoke well of him, turned out he'd had a rough go of it, and Sharon had taken him in and gotten attached. From what he heard, both from his grandkids and those in position to watch the situation more objectively, it was a mutual arrangement. The events surrounding the trial and other rumors he heard were worrisome, but Patrick had to figure that her personal life might be one thing, but his daughter could handle her professional life just fine.

Then something very interesting had happened. Sharon had gotten divorced. The Judge wondered how much of that had to do with this boy she had up and adopted, and how much of it had to do with this man his grandkids mentioned she was dating. In thirty years of marriage, twenty of it separated, he had never known his daughter to date. Not that he had heard, and he knew that Sharon could be discreet as hell, but he relied on his other children to tell him things. The girls talked, even when they didn't want their old parents to know what was going on in their lives, Helen and Sharon spoke to each other, or to their sisters-in-law. Then inevitably Lynette, Susan, or Lillian (Bill's wife) spoke to their husbands, and he and Miranda heard it from the boys. Or the grandkids. They could always count on the grandkids to spill the beans, they were far more susceptible to guilt than their children. Too many years of practice had hardened the second generation, the third, however… it was still prime for the taking.

Now Patrick was hearing something else. All that upheaval and turmoil in Los Angeles had almost sent him back to the city, save Sharon demanding quite firmly that he and Miranda stay in Summerland, where they now lived full time. Despite the news reports, and how close she had come to dying, Sharon was emphatic that she was okay. She was safe, well taken care of, and mending. It was one of those cold, dark facts about her police work that the family had always been afraid of. It wasn't the first time she had been injured, but they didn't recall her coming quite so close to death before.

Ricky and Katie had gone, they hadn't heeded those warnings, and both of them had dropped everything and gone to Los Angeles the moment they had heard. They only stayed a few days, their mother chased them back to their lives with promises to let them know if they were needed. She didn't want their hovering, and she didn't want them worrying about her… and apparently she was staying with the new guy.

He had conversations with Miranda about that. They wanted to know who this man was. Patrick wanted to do some digging, Miranda wouldn't let him. Ricky and Katie liked him, apparently he was nice, funny, and treated their mother like a queen… when he wasn't calling her on her crap. From what little they had managed to learn, mainly from picking at the boy - the new brother they were both fond of - he was a fellow cop, worked for their mother, and was a divorced recovering alcoholic with two grown children of his own.

That was quite a bit of information to get out of the grandkids, and Patrick was wondering if maybe this new addition to the family, this Rusty, wouldn't be a good source for keeping tabs on the goings on in Los Angeles. If that were the case, Patrick had high hopes for that boy. First he needed to lay eyes on him… and he needed to lay eyes on this new guy. The one his daughter was living with but not married to. Of course, at her age, it wasn't as though he had a lot of say in her life decisions, but Patrick Cavanagh wasn't out to pasture just yet, and he was far from his grave. He was still the residing patriarch of this family, and whether they listened or not… he had things to say.

He just usually said them when his Miranda wasn't around to overhear it and box his ears.

Thoughts of his wife had his attention shifting toward the kitchen. Tea was brewing, and there was something sweet baking in the oven. It would be for dessert later, but maybe if he was just good enough she'd sneak him a little taste. They had to make sure it was good enough for the kids.

Patrick Cavanagh leaned back on the porch swing he was occupying and let his gaze sweep the beach. There was a nice breeze out today. The sun was shining. The early days of summer had been mild, but the heat would come. The breezes in off the pacific would keep them from feeling it too harshly, they usually did. He stretched his long legs out, grimacing that the old bones creaked and ached a bit more than they used to. In the distance, he could hear kids playing. David's grandkids were playing. His eldest daughter, Christine, had two girls that were not quite school age. Helen's son, Michael, would be joining them later that evening, with his young son, toddling at Christmas but probably more than game to keeping up with the older kids by now.

Yes, it was a large family. Growing daily. The sound of a car had drawn his attention and Patrick cast his gaze toward the winding drive that came to an end in a circular parking lane between the two beach houses, which had stone paths leading to each. He leaned forward and squinted against the gleam of the sun on the car's exterior. A familiar silver sedan made him smile. Patrick leaned back in his seat and folded his hands against his stomach again. It came to stop, and he was not surprised to see the light colored Volvo stop beside it. Katie had told her grandmother she was flying into LAX and driving up with her mother. That boy, Rusty, was nervous.

Patrick tilted his head and craned his ears. From the cars he would be slightly obscured. The porch swing wasn't readily visible until halfway up the stone path. Observance, that was the first weapon in his arsenal of family coherence - or meddling as his wife called it.

Katie had driven. She knew the way, and Rusty was just too anxious about meeting the rest of Sharon's family to even think about handling the highway and traffic. When they had left the 101 and driven toward the beach, through the little village, the knot in his stomach had only gotten tighter. Now that they were there, he looked around and rubbed his hands against his jeans. "I thought it was just a little cottage?" He stared wide eyed at the large house that seemed to be sprawled out before them.

"It used to be," Katie pushed her sunglasses up into her hair and smiled at him. "When my mom was a kid, it was just this little place. Gram and Granddad added onto it later, and it just got bigger. That one over there is Uncle David's," she pointed to the nearby house. It was far enough away to give the appearance of privacy and independence between the two, but well within walking distance. "He added it when we realized that for summer vacation, there was just too many of us kids to all be here together. Granddad likes us here together." She stretched, as much as she could in the car and pushed her door open to get out. "Come on, don't freak out until you meet them."

"But there's so many of them." Rusty heaved a sigh and unfolded himself from the small sedan. He took a moment to stretch after the two hour drive and walked to the rear to get his and Katie's bags.

"Katherine Marie!" Sharon pushed out of the passenger seat and slipped her shades up into her hair. "Did you ignore the speed limit, or just decide it did not apply to you?"

"Told you." Rusty smirked and pulled out her matching Gucci bags, setting them beside his plain blue luggage.

"Oh, is that what those numbers meant?" She flashed a cheeky grin and fluttered her lashes. "Mom, it's the 101! That's more of a… suggestion."

Green eyes flashed irritation and Andy decided the better part of valor was turning Sharon toward her own car. "Slow it down," he admonished, in a more casual, but firm tone. "I'll ticket you myself."

"Okay, okay," Katie held her hands up. "Sorry. No more speeding, promise." She helped Rusty with their bags, and grinned when Andy effectively stood her mother out of his way while he emptied the other trunk.

"Seriously? Do you always pack this much?" Rusty had his one bag, his knapsack, and two of Katie's. That still left her overnight bag, and another large suitcase. Not to mention her purse.

"What?" Katie blinked at him. "This? I didn't really bring anything. I'll probably end up running into Santa Barbara to pick up whatever I forgot."

"Oh my god." Rusty moaned. "Who are you?"

"Prima ballerina baby." She winked at him, dropped her glasses back onto her face and lifted the two bags. Chin lifted, she turned and started striding toward the house.

"She's really adopted, right?" Rusty cast a look at Sharon and Andy, but spotted the Lieutenant in the same predicament he was in. "Never mind."

"Yeah." Andy snorted. "This one is just shoes."

"That had best not be a complaint," Sharon had a bag drawn over her shoulder and was leading the way toward the house. She tossed a smile back over her shoulder. "I brought the black heels."

"It's not too late," Rusty said as he and Andy followed. "We can still go fishing with Lieutenant Provenza."

"The thought had occurred," Andy muttered. He wasn't sure about meeting Sharon's family, all at once. Her kids were great. They had no issues about her kids, or his daughter, not getting along. Katie and Nicole had hit it off, and with the trial now over, and nothing to do except school work and be normal, Rusty had babysat for Nicole and her husband Jake a couple of times. Sharon was, in so many ways he could never explain or ever thank her for, the best thing that had ever happened to him. But damn the woman couldn't travel lightly if her life depended on it, and neither could her daughter. She was also confident that he and Rusty would be alright with this huge extended family of hers, and if she and her kids were anything to go on, he was sure that was probably true - but he and Rusty both had pasts, they came with baggage, and that made it all incredibly nerve wracking. Andy drew a deep breath when they got closer to the house. "Stick with me kid," he said quietly. "If it goes south, I'll hot wire the car and we're out of here."

"You're on." Rusty dropped back even more when they got close enough to realize there was someone sitting on the porch. Someone very much older than the adults he was used to, who was standing up, and as Rusty's steps trudged along, and he squinted against the bright sun, he watched Sharon drop her purse and overnight bag on the porch and rush forward into a hug. When they reached the porch, he had no choice but to move up the creaking wooden steps behind the others, but was better able to observe the older man who was hugging Sharon like she might disappear if he ever let go.

He looked like he might have once been a very large man, and he wasn't frail by any means, but it had been some time since he had seen eighty. He had full head of white hair, cut short and neatly trimmed, and a pressed polo shirt tucked into a pair of pressed khakis. He was tall, and it became apparent where Ricky had gotten his height.

Patrick Cavanagh gathered his girl close and held on tightly. It had been too long, and the last months had been harder than most. "You're too thin," he declared. "Your mother worries."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him, and laughed quietly. That was code for she had given him a scare, and she was duly chastised for it. "You're one to talk. Isn't mom feeding you?"

"I'm running this interrogation, missy." Patrick drew back and cupped her face in his hands. He tipped her chin up and narrowed his eyes at her. Thinner, but looking more relaxed than he could recall. Older, but hell, they were all getting older. "It's been too long, young lady."

"Yes sir." Sharon felt guilty for that, but it couldn't be helped. "Mom frets." Her green eyes were dancing.

"Cheeky." Patrick shook his head at her. "You and I will have that chat later, don't you worry none about it." There were others present, others that weren't known to him, and his little Katie was trying very hard not to laugh. "Who have you brought me?" He watched the laughter fade from her eyes, but the sparkle didn't go anywhere. If anything, her eyes lit up when she looked at the boy and the man waiting patiently nearby.

"Rusty." Sharon held out a hand and beckoned him closer. "Katie, for crying out loud," she heaved an exasperated sigh when she realized he was still carrying her daughter's bags. "He is not your valet."

"Isn't that the definition of brother?" But she winked at the boy when she took the bags from him. "Sorry."

"It's okay." He set them on the porch beside her and rubbed the palms of his hands against his pants legs again. Rusty walked over to stand, nervously, beside Sharon.

Patrick studied the boy. He was nervous, fair to shaking in his sneakers. But the boy met his gaze and didn't look away. Patrick tilted his head. "So you're the Rusty I've heard so much about."

"Yes sir." He held out a hand. "Um. Sharon talks about the family a lot."

Firm handshake. It was a good sign. "I understand you're a fairly good chess player?"

"I'm okay," Rusty glanced at Sharon before forcing out a breath and making himself relax. "I'm good. Do you play?"

"I'm okay." Patrick tapped a finger against his chin. "Maybe we'll see how good you are later. This one," he pointed at Sharon, "is completely hopeless."

The eyes, sparkling green, and so familiar in the way they seemed to show warmth and amusement helped Rusty relax just a bit. "She really is," he admitted. He looked at Sharon beside him and shrugged. "You have no patience for it. Which, I've never understood. You can wait out almost any suspect, and you deal with the squad everyday, but you can't sit still long enough to make it through one game of chess."

Behind them Andy chuckled. "She can't control it, kid." He had stacked his and Sharon's bags neatly near the wooden porch rail, and now stood by, watching carefully. When the kid relaxed, he saw some of the tension leave Sharon's shoulders, and that in turn helped him settle down as well. "She needs to be in the action, not watching it."

"I'm fully capable of recognizing that it is not my game," Sharon shrugged. "Dad, on the other hand, may have found his match. I'll be interested to see how that turns out. I'm sure David and Steven, his son, will be as well."

"We've got us a game then." Patrick nodded. "I'm going to look forward to that. It's nice to finally meet you, Rusty. Welcome to the family."

"Thank you, sir." He almost fell over with relief and moved quickly to begin picking up bags again.

It was Katie's turn after that, since she bounded up for a hug instead of waiting. "Grandpa!"

Sharon slipped back to stand with Andy while her daughter greeted her grandfather. She leaned against his side and slipped a hand into his. The smile she gave him was full of reassurance. They had discussed how nervous he was on the drive, and she was glad the kids had decided to bring the other car. "Just remember," she whispered against his ear, repeating his own words from months earlier. "After Jackson, they're going to love you."

"From your mouth," he said quietly, but gave her hand a squeeze.

"Well." Katie looked around the porch. "Since this is getting awkward fast, I'm going to take Rusty inside and show him where to put our stuff. I'll introduce him to Gram," she told her mother. "She's been almost desperate to meet you, Rusty. She worries you know…"

"That's what I've heard." He glanced back at Sharon and Andy smiled, but was afraid it came off as more of a grimace.

They waited until the kids were inside the house and the sound of Katie's chatter fading before Patrick turned back to his daughter. "Sharon." He tried to sound stern, but it was hard when they were grown, well past grown when they got down to the truth of it.

"Dad." She returned his look, and rather than be cowed, she stepped away from the rail and drew her lover with her. "This is Andy."

"Your honor," he held out a hand. Finding out Sharon's dad was former Appellate court Judge Patrick Cavanagh had explained a lot. The man was known for being strict, but fair, in his rulings. He ran a tight court room back in his day, and it also explained how she had known so many of the upper brass of Los Angeles. "Andrew Flynn," he stated formally.

"You're a cop." Patrick shook his hand, but regarded him closely. "If rumor serves."

"That's right," Andy nodded. "Major Crimes, I work for Sharon."

"With." She grinned up at him, eyes dancing. "Technically, on paper, you work for Tao and he works for me. Keeps us out of trouble," she added, poking his arm lightly.

"Rules." He shook his head at her, but smiled just the same.

"Hm." She gave him a playful shrug. "I like them." Sharon's head tilted at him. "You knew that."

"I did." He grinned down at her, it was a familiar exchange, more playful than anything now.

Patrick continued to study the pair of them. He slipped his hands into his pockets and pursed his lips slightly. "I suppose I'm trying to play catch up, now, with everything the kids have been telling us. Sharon wouldn't let her mother and I make the trip last February. You worried her," he told his daughter. "Although, we understand, with everything that was going on you didn't want your old parents underfoot. Otherwise we might have met your…" There they had it, how to classify him. They were grown, middle aged people, that made it difficult for parents. "Andy," he decided at last, going with a name for lack of a title, "well before now, and probably before you decided to up and sell your place and move in with him."

Sharon pressed her lips together and clamped down hard on the desire to laugh. She shot a knowing look at Andy. They had discussed this; no matter her age, her father was still her father, and she expected exactly this. Well into her fifties or not, she was not surprised with the direction the conversation had gone. "Dad."

"No," He waved a hand at her. "That's fine. You don't need to justify anything to your mother or I…"

"Patrick." Miranda Cavanagh appeared from inside, forewarned by her granddaughter that he was about to wind their daughter up. She shook her head at him. There was mirth in her blue-eyed gaze, but she gave his arm a light slap when she joined them. "You leave them alone. I would actually like Sharon to come back at some point, and she might actually want to bring the young man with her if she does. It would be nice if you didn't scare him off."

Andy had to smile at being called a _young man_, although he supposed to the older generation he was precisely that. He also couldn't contain his grin when he realized he was looking into the face of Sharon in about thirty years, save the eyes. The voice was slightly deeper, but the inflection was the same, and reminded him of Sharon when she was admonishing him, or Provenza. "He can try, but I'm afraid that's just not possible, ma'am."

"Oh don't call me that." Miranda chuckled. "You call me ma'am and I start looking for Patrick's mother." Her dry tone left it known there was no love lost there, although her mother-in-law was long deceased. "You can call me Miranda," she said, holding out her hand, "and I want you to absolutely ignore the cantankerous old man and his meddling."

"Andy." He took her hand and clasped it between both of his. "It's a pleasure."

"Now Miranda," Patrick began, his tone shifting toward one intended to mollify his wife. "I was only trying to figure out what has been going on down there, since our daughter hasn't seen fit…"

"Meddling." Miranda pointed a finger at him and shook it. "That's exactly what you were doing, Patrick David Cavanagh, and I'll not have it."

Unable to prevent the grin, Andy turned his face into Sharon's hair while his shoulders shook lightly with silent laughter. "You are your mother's daughter," he murmured.

"Oh this is nothing," Sharon whispered, and leaned against his side. She slipped her arms around his waist and waited for her mother to stop reading her dad the riot act. "Mom," she decided to take pity on him. "It's really okay, I think Dad was working up to the point where he was going to try to figure out how I went from married, to divorced, to living with another man inside a six month period."

"Three." Andy winked down at her. "It was three babe."

"Was it?" Sharon's lips pursed and she thought about it. "Hmm. I suppose if we go on technicalities it was, but I was counting Nicole's wedding. I thought we had agreed on that?"

"We might have," his head tilted. "I may have missed it somewhere between the moving, painting, and remodeling we've been doing." Andy gave her parents a sheepish grin. "My _honey do_ list gets a little bit longer every day."

"It's not that long." Sharon made a face at him. "If you would actually do what's on it, though…"

"I try," He grinned down at her. "Work keeps getting in the way. My boss won't let me have a day off."

"Hm." Sharon's eyes sparkled. "I should talk to that Tao. The power has gone to his head."

"Something like that." His hand stroked down her back. "Back to your point, six months it is. Sounds better anyway."

"I thought so too," Sharon agreed with a nod. "Although we've known each other for at least twenty years."

"Twenty-two," Andy grinned again. "You were having lunch with Gavin. He was still with the city attorney's office, and I was… in trouble."

"That's right," Sharon's eyes widened. She had almost forgotten that. "I was just a rookie in IA then. I wasn't handling any of your cases yet."

"Yes, yes," he nodded slowly. "Before you were corrupted by the dark side."

"Oh stop." Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "In any event, we appreciate your concern, but I think we're going to be okay. This isn't the first trip down this particular road for either of us."

"Right." Andy was still nodding slowly, but stopped. "You had to bring that up?" He arched a brow at her. Reminding her parents they both had failed marriages might not be the road to go down. "_That_ is what you go with? I think you're off script babe."

"Am I?" She folded her arms over her chest, tilted her head, and pretended to think about it. "Went over the years we've known each other." She waited for him to nod. "Thanked them for being concerned."

"Yes." His dark eyes were dancing with amusement.

"Reminded them we're old enough to know better?" Sharon was ticking off the points on her fingers. "What did I miss?"

"Hm." Andy hummed and tapped his chin. "Love, marriage, longevity?"

"Oh right," she nodded slowly, and gave him a sigh that was all feigned resignation. "That could be important."

"Well, we did agree that we wanted to set their minds at ease, and given how the children talk, you wanted to tell your parents first." He clasped his hands in front of him. "They have spies, remember?"

"Yes," Sharon agreed. "The spy network. It is vast and well oiled. Now they've pulled Nicole into it. If I tell Katie and Ricky, she'll know before you can finish dialing, and if I tell Rusty, then Katie and Ricky are going to know and it's just a cycle. Katie will call Christine, and Ricky is going to talk to little David, someone will speak to Charlotte, then Joey would find out… he'd tell his mom, and Lillian is going to question Bill about it, who will talk to Alan. I know my little brother, he'd conference call David and Helen, and one of them would end up asking dad, because mom would want to know why they were meddling to begin with and it really is a vicious, vicious cycle."

"Yes, I can see that." Andy's lips pursed. "When it isn't about you, where do you fall in the line up?"

Her eyes lit up, nearly emerald in their amusement. "Oh, I'm usually the one _asking _dad. Turn about is fair play, you understand."

"Absolutely, that's my girl." Andy tapped her nose. "That brings us back around to the conversation with your parents, and the discussion we had in the car. The entire reason we endorsed Katie bringing the Volvo and sending Rusty with her."

"Hm." Sharon hummed while she considered all of that. "I do suppose we've derailed a bit."

"A bit?" Patrick rubbed his forehead. "Is this how you handle suspects? If it is, I'm surprised you aren't getting more confessions. Or maybe they're just so confused by the end, they don't quite care what the deal is." When his daughter and the man simply looked at each other and shrugged, Patrick shook his head. "She gets this from you," he told his wife.

"No," Miranda slipped one of her small hands into his. "_This_ she gets from you." Soft laughter was her response to their antics. "That was pure Judge if ever I saw it."

"Hm." The hum that came out of Patrick sounded more like a grunt. "Maybe she should get to the point. We're not getting any younger."

"Maybe you should be more observant." Miranda smiled up at her husband. "Although, at our age, it's more than understandable. We miss the finer details. Poor eyesight, less patience, too busy meddling to read between the lines. Or you might have noticed the fact that our daughter who has not worn much more jewelry than your mother's gold earrings and a watch for the last twenty-five years is wearing a diamond on her hand." Miranda held out her hand for Sharon's and crooked her fingers impatiently.

Although she rolled her eyes at them, Sharon placed her hand on display. "In between giving him chores to complete, Andy might have found time to do a little shopping of his own."

"I might have snuck off between a crime scene and the station," He brought a finger to his lips. "Shh, don't tell my partner. He's worse than my boss."

She nudged his side. "_Andy. _Behave."

Miranda smiled brightly. "It's lovely." She moved past Sharon to hug the man that was going to be her new son. The kids spoke well of him, and seeing her daughter happy and more at ease than she could ever recall her being with the _other one_ was enough for Miranda. "Welcome to the family, Andy."

Patrick nodded with some amount of satisfaction. Well, they might not know him that well, but this was better than just living together. "Indeed. Sharon, you're in your room. Why don't you show Andy the way. That son of yours is off with your brother, Alan has a few new toys. He took Ricky, Steven and Anna out to the range with him. The others should be getting in later this afternoon, and tonight. Your mother has planned a family dinner. You should get yourselves and Rusty settled in."

"Yes sir." Sharon winked at Andy. They were effectively off the hook now. At least with her parents, they still had her kids and his to break the news to - although that should be easy. Their kids had been more than supportive and were probably expecting news of either an engagement or elopement.

They waited until Andy and Sharon had taken their bags and made their way into the house before Miranda turned and tapped Patrick on the chest. "Oh, honestly. If you could have heard yourself. She is over fifty years old, it is entirely none of our business what she or any of the others do, or with whom."

"Mmhm." Patrick slipped an arm around her shoulders. "But did you see the look on their faces. The scheming was rather amusing. I was particularly fond of the part where they attempted to lose us with misdirection. They get extra points for being well rehearsed."

"Indeed." Miranda considered it. "What did you think? The boy was so nervous I was afraid he was going to be ill. He settled down after a few seconds, but kept looking around like he was waiting for Sharon to save him. Bit of an anxious young thing, although it's understandable given everything we've heard."

"Oh, I think he'll be fine, just fine," Patrick said. "Now the other one…" He chuckled. "I'd call that a major improvement over the last one she brought home. In all the years we had to deal with that one, he never once could look me in the eye. The jury is still out, but this one… this Andy of hers looked me in the eye."

"Yes." Miranda's lips pursed. "She did look happy right? I wasn't just imagining that. Was she too thin? Patrick, she looked too thin."

"Now, now," he gave her back a light pat. "No reason to go fretting over it too much, she always was a bit of a bird with her eating habits. She looked good, and my friends tell me that she recovered just fine. It's been a few months yet, and she seems just fine to me."

"You're right. I won't worry," She nodded slowly. "Let's go in and have some tea. Helen and her brood will be here in another hour or so."

"They must have gotten caught in traffic around Sacramento," Patrick said, but he was already trying to remember everything that his other daughter had _not_ been telling her parents. He'd get Sharon aside later and go over the details, no doubt Alan had told her. He could always count on his girl to fill him in. As he understood it, their little Melanie and her husband might be expecting. It was high time the next generation began providing babies to spoil. Miranda was fretting or babies.


	2. Chapter 2

Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness

By Kadi

Rated T

* * *

Long after the others had arrived, there had been more introductions. People had come and gone through the house, filling it with the noise of chatter and laughter. Sleeping arrangements were decided, and most of the _adults_ were getting bedrooms while the kids would be camping out in the family rooms of both houses. The rooms at the main house were quickly filled up. Patrick and Miranda of course had their room, and with Sharon and Andy in her old room, that had left Helen and her husband Daniel in a third bedroom, while her son Michael and his wife Jill had taken the fourth with their eighteen month old son.

Just down the way, in the other house owned by David and his wife Lynette, Alan and his wife Susan would be staying in a second bedroom. While David's daughter Christine and her husband Jacob took a third, leaving their daughter Sarah to camp in the family room. The other bedrooms were being filled depending on which of the grandchildren were married, and any rooms left over there would be straws drawn for them.

Back at the main house, Ricky and Rusty were camping out in the family room, along with others of the cousins. Katie was with them this time, and the boys were under threat of death if they messed with her while she slept.

It was after all of the sleeping arrangements had been decided and everyone settled in for their stay, that conversations began. Stories were told. There were embellishments and jokes. Andy went looking for, and found Rusty seated on the porch steps with a book, while Ricky and his cousins set up for a game of beach volleyball. "Hey kid, alright?"

"Yeah." Ricky closed the book and shrugged. "There are a lot of them. Like, a _lot_."

"No kidding." He let his arms drape over his jean clad knees and leaned forward to watch the cousins, Ricky, Anna, Steven, Tommy, and Victoria do more playing than setting up a net. A familiar laugh drew his attention, and his gaze shifted to where he saw Sharon with her sister and sisters-in-law, setting up two long picnic tables for the family dinner. "I'm not sure I've got it all straight in my head yet. I'm wondering if I should have taken notes."

"I know." Rusty rested his elbows on his knees. "I mean, I think I've got it. There's David, he's the oldest. He's the lawyer, and he's married to Lynette the writer. Their kids are Christine, David Junior, Steven, and Sarah. Christine is the only one married, the two little girls are hers. Helen is next, she's the doctor, her husband Daniel was an architect," he pointed at the tall woman that looked similar enough to Sharon they could believe they were sisters, but her hair was shorter and with much more gray. "The guy with the baby, Michael, is their son. Melanie is the one who told everyone she's pregnant. Alan is the army guy, his wife is Susan, and she used to own a bookstore, but she sold it so they could retire and travel or something." Rusty took a breath before continuing. "They've got all girls, Charlotte, Erin, and Anna. That guy, over there, the one that looks like Ricky, but shorter, that's Jack's brother. His wife is Lillian, and the boys that look like Ricky are his. Adam, Joey, Tommy, and then the girl Vic. So basically, what I've figured out is that Ricky is a giant like Sharon's side of the family, but he looks like Jack's side of the family, and Katie is an alien who just looks like Sharon because no one is like her."

Andy blinked at him. "Wow, I'm impressed. How did you remember all that?" If he'd had a month he didn't think he'd be able to get it all. The kid was right, there were _a lot _of them.

"I took notes." Rusty grinned and opened the book. He was using the notecard he had jotted all of it down on as a book marker. "There is no way in a hundred years I would ever remember any of their names. It's insane, who has this many kids?"

He snorted and laughed quietly. "Remind me to take you back east to Jersey some time, introduce you to my family. This is nothing."

"No thanks." Rusty shook his head. "At least, not anytime soon. I think I need to figure out who all these people really are first. Isn't it weird though?" He leaned closer to Andy and pitched his voice lower, so they wouldn't be overheard. "That guy, Bill, they treat him like he's one of them, and no one even mentions Jack. Like he never existed. No one even blinked about Sharon getting divorced or the two of you being together or even _engaged_. That can't be normal, right? I mean, I was a little like _whoa!_ when you guys told me this afternoon and I freaking live with you. We won't even discuss what Lieutenant Provenza is going to say when _he_ finds out."

Andy stretched his legs out and shrugged. "I suppose to us, the outsiders, it might seem a little weird. You gotta understand, though, kid. These people, they've like, all known each other for decades. The way I heard it, Bill introduced Sharon and Jack. He and Alan were in the service together, and sometimes, there are relationships that go way beyond blood. You know? Kind of like you and Sharon, or even you and the squad. Family is family. Other times, there are people that disappoint or hurt you so badly that its easier to just pretend they didn't exist. Or out of respect for the people they hurt, for the ones you love when it's not you involved but them… you don't bring it up so you don't hurt them more. I think people probably just got so used to _not_ talking about Jack out of respect for Sharon and her kids that… it's just habit now."

"Yeah, I get it." Rusty nodded slowly. "Like how no one mentions my mom, or after Jack left last summer, we didn't mention him anymore." He watched the cousins, then leaned past Andy to watch Sharon and the _aunts_. "It's still weird."

"Very." Andy agreed. "Remember. Just say the word."

"We're out of here and fishing with the Lieutenant." Rusty nodded. "I remember." He let his gaze sweep the crowd again and found Sharon watching them. She tiled her head at him, in that way she had of silently asking, _are you okay?_ Rusty smiled and nodded. Then he rolled his eyes toward Flynn and made a face. He watched as Sharon laughed, rolled her eyes and turned away, attention recaptured by her sisters and nieces.

"Rusty!" Katie trotted down the porch steps and captured his arm. "Stop being a log." She tugged him with her, toward the beach, her brother, and their cousins. He didn't want to move, however, and she was pulling and not getting anywhere. "Come on. Come play with us." Katie got behind him to push. "Good god, what does she feed you. You weigh a ton!"

"You're like, eighty pounds soaking wet, all puny, so don't come crying to me little ballerina girl." Rusty dropped his book on the step with a sigh. "You get that I'm not really _in_ to sports right?"

"Yes, I know, you're a thinker." Katie made a face. "But we've still got time to fix that." She placed both hands flat against his back and gave a hard shove.

Rusty rolled his eyes at Flynn. "I wanted a puppy. She gave me a ballerina instead." Since he would have no peace until he did as she wanted, Rusty stood up, only to grunt when Katie hopped up on his back."

"Yeah well, I asked for Prada and she came home with you," Katie grinned and tousled his hair. "I guess we'll both have to learn to live with disappointment."

"Yep." Rusty grinned and let her fall, right onto her bottom in the soft beach sand. "Like the disappointment of having to give up your Chanel." He plucked her sunglasses off her face and onto his own before he took off running.

"Vintage Chanel." Katie flounced after him, putting her long dancers legs to use and chasing him across the beach. The kid was skinny and he was fast. "Mom! You're about to be short a son!"

"Careful with that one, Rusty," Victoria yelled, laughing. "She's delicate. You break it, you bought it."

"Oh, she's delicate is she?" Steven perked right up and glanced over at his cousin. "Hey, Michael, did you hear that? Little Katie is delicate."

"I think I did." Michael passed his son to his wife and stood up to join them. "You know, we should really rescue her from herself."

"We'd hate it if anything happened to the little dancing bean," Steven replied.

The cousins shared a look and then bolted after her. There was a squeal which bordered close to being a screech as the chase for the vintage Chanel sunglasses was abandoned and Katie began sprinting toward self preservation. Unfortunately, her cousins had longer legs. "Put me down!" Michael had her legs, Steven had her upper body and they were carrying her toward the water.

"Does she actually swim?" Rusty looked only mildly concerned where he was joined by Ricky, Vic, and a couple of the other cousins to watch the goings on.

"We all do." Ricky laughed. "It's not a party until someone gets dunked. It's Katie's turn. Last time it was Sarah."

"No, it was Erin." Vic told him. "Sarah was the time before that." She shoved her hands into the back pockets of her cut-offs and smirked. "The boys think they can best the girls."

"Think?" Ricky arched a brow at her. "Vic, last time you got dunked, I didn't need Joey or Tommy to help me."

"I was also fifteen," she pointed out. "But if you think you're still man enough."

"Dude." Rusty shook his head. "I wouldn't. She took down the big one," he pointed toward David Junior, the largest of Ricky's male cousins. "On his back in six seconds, and I think he almost cried like a girl."

"I like the new brother, he's smart." Vic threw an arm around Rusty's shoulders. "You get to be on my team." She plucked Katie's glasses off his head and onto her own.

"Oh god." Rusty wasn't sure that was good or bad.

"Well, it's nice to know some things never change." Sharon dropped onto the step beside Andy where she curled her arms around his and laid her chin against his shoulder. "The kids are together all of an hour and already acting like they're twelve again."

Andy was laughing. "This is tame. I was telling Rusty earlier, I should take you both back east, meet the Jersey cousins."

"Oh really?" Sharon laughed. "That would be interesting." She watched the little powerhouse that was her niece by marriage take charge of Rusty and her brows lifted. "Bill," she called. "Your little hellion is attempting to corrupt my little angel." Beside her, she felt more than heard Andy's snort, and poked his side.

"Considering he's yours," Bill called back, without looking up from the grill he was tending, "I'm going to venture to state there is nothing angelic about him. My baby girl on the other hand…" His thick, deep voice rumbled across the short distance between the porch and where the grill was set up. Alan had been manning it, but had gone in to bring out more meat for the flame.

"Spoiled rotten, don't try to deny it." Sharon had laid her cheek against Andy's shoulder and snorted with laughter when her own daughter reappeared, completely doused and dripping salty, ocean water. "Much like mine."

"I'm not touching that one." Bill shook his head. "I think I'm partially to blame for that." He had filled in where he could in his brother's absence. At least, where Sharon would allow him to. When he looked over, he realized he had already lost her attention. Her fiancee had drawn her over, so that she was seated between his legs and leaning back against his chest while he rubbed her shoulders. Sharon was pointing out the kids and speaking quietly while the man nodded. Bill turned his attention back to the grill, his brother was a damned fool, and she was well rid of him.

Dinner was slightly less chaotic than the preparation, but filled with several conversations and laughter as each generation settled into their own groups. Each table was a mix of parents and their children, along with spouses and the smaller children. The cousins grouped by age or occupation, with Steven, Ricky, Anna and Victoria settling into a group at one end of the second picnic table. Katie had joined them, as she and Ricky had flanked Rusty while their mother and Andy sat with the _adults_. Along with Joey, one of the Raydor cousins, seated across from Katie, they made up the small group of cops which had sprung up among the third generation. As was inevitable, the cops vs lawyers debate had broken out among the _kids_, with the decision still up in the air as to which profession was the better.

"What I'm still trying to figure out," Joey lifted his deep voice to be heard over the friendly squabbling taking place between his cousins Ricky and Christine, "is how anyone related to us," he indicated his fellow police cousins, "could have ended up a Narc."

Michael and Steven both groaned, they had both been on the beach _that night_, along with Ricky and Joey. They knew where this was headed. "Didn't we figure this out last time?"

Steven leaned forward, taking a dinner roll from a nearby bread basket. "He was negatively impacted by the alien ballerina presence. It made him a little crazy."

"Hey!" Katie and Ricky echoed that sentiment, but it was the latter which continued. "There is nothing wrong with my division, thank you very much. At least I'm not running around town dressed in drag with the Vice yahoos."

"Dudes who get busted smoking dope on the beach, with their far more awesome cousins, by the coolest Aunt ever - for never telling our parents - do not end up Narcs. It's just wrong!" Joey pointed a finger at his cousin. "It flies in the face of everything we were thankful for that weekend.

"Everything that _you_ were thankful for," Ricky pointed out. "I got my butt kicked. She might not have ever told _your_ parents, but hello! I was right there with you, and it was _my_ mom busting us. I didn't know that woman could run that fast."

"No, really?" Rusty leaned forward, suddenly less anxious about being surrounded by so many people that he didn't know, and incredibly interested in hearing this particular story. When he came to live with her, Sharon had mentioned that he was not the first adolescent that had ever graced her home. She always hinted that there was nothing he could try that she couldn't see coming a mile away, and he always figured it was because she was a cop. While he didn't think Ricky and Katie were entirely perfect, especially after meeting them, he never imagined they were the kind of kids to get caught smoking pot on a beach.

"Oh man." Steven was laughing as he remembered. "That was the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life."

"I think I remember this." Alan shared a look with his brother, and together they and Helen turned toward Sharon. "I remember the kids finally coming clean some years later."

"What did you do?" Andy watched Sharon's face flush a delightful shade of pink, although she was laughing.

"I did not do anything," she pointed out. "I was simply trying to be a good parent."

"She kicked his butt," Katie told Rusty. "You see, the four stooges," she indicated her brother and cousins, to which Michael, Steven, and Joey each raised their hand to indicate which cousins she was talking about exactly. "Along with my brother, decided to go down by the wharf with a couple of doobies."

"I'm really sure this isn't a story that we should be telling in front of the younger children," Sharon pointed out, covering her face with her hand.

"No," Ricky drew the syllable out. "I think it makes a good lesson, especially for our new baby brother. He needs to understand that you can just be... _mean_." He draped an arm across Rusty's shoulders and leaned toward him. "So there we are, a group of reasonably well behaved sixteen and seventeen year old boys."

"Fifteen," Joey pointed out. "I was only fifteen. You corrupted me with your bad, bad ways."

"You were like two seconds away from being sixteen," Steven tossed a wadded up napkin at him.

"He's also failing to point out he was the one who scored the weed," Bill stated, trying very hard not to smile at the particular incident. "Do continue, Richard, tell us how _mean _your mother is." He rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward, particularly interested in the tale now. He grinned when Sharon moaned and turned her face into Andy's shoulder.

"Right," Ricky chuckled. "So, Joey gets the weed, and we go down by the wharf. The four of us are just sitting there, minding our own business, getting completely stoned. We're not paying a bit of attention to the time, or thinking that anyone would notice that we're not camped out in the family room anymore."

"Except Aunt Sharon gets up," Michael added, "and comes outside to cool off because it was seriously hot that weekend. She didn't notice we weren't in the family room, but she can hear us."

"Because this one was giggling like a little school girl," Ricky hooked a thumb at Steven. "But we were all being pretty loud, and didn't realize it.. ya know, 'cause we were stoned."

"So without us ever knowing that we're busted," Joey told them. "Here comes Aunt Sharon, basically just intending on busting our hides for being out after curfew."

"Only she walks up," Steven said, "Just as Ricky has got the doobie in his mouth. Inhaling..."

"With everything else that is going on, as if I really needed to catch my seventeen year old with a joint in his mouth," Sharon was leaning back in her seat, shaking her head. Beside her, Andy was laughing. "Oh stop it," she nudged his shoulder.

"So Steven is all, be cool man, be cool," Michael laughed. "She'll never know... Just as loud as he can, while Joey is standing there going, man we are so screwed. It had to be the cop, why did it have to be the cop."

"Ricky apparently agreed with me. He handed me the joint and took off running," Joey laughed into his tea glass.

"Well, he tried to." Steven snorted. "He got like two steps, fell flat on his face."

"No," Ricky pointed out. "I was _put_ flat on my face. In the dirt. Granted, running when your mom is already ticked is probably _not _the brightest idea in the world. So there I am, mouth full of sand... and I can't feel my legs anymore because there is this little, bony, knee in my spine and..." He shook his head, laughing. "I didn't know she could swear like that either."

"You're putting us on," Rusty stared at him wide-eyed. The other three boys were slowly shaking their heads and laughing.

"I wish," Ricky said. "So then she jerks me up, and she's steadily walking me back to the house, giving me an earful the entire way. What was I thinking, have I lost my mind, she is so disappointed... And those three are just following, tails tucked between their legs."

"We're weren't dumb enough to try it," Steven said plainly. "The woman was _MAD_. Of course, we were also thinking we were all done for, there was no reason to make it worse with our parents."

"We get back to the house, and we're expecting she's going to have us wait while she goes in and gets our parents. Only... My mom is waiting on the porch," Michael pointed out, nodding toward Helen. "Then the most amazing thing happens."

"I think I might have realized that when my dad calls my uncle an idiot, he means it capitalized," Joey stated, reminding those unfamiliar with them, again, that he was Bill's son and Sharon's nephew through her marriage to Jackson.

"Never said a word." Steven flashed a lopsided grin at Ricky. "She told Aunt Helen she caught us out after curfew and was sending us back to bed. It was years before our parents found out what really happened that night."

"For _yours_ maybe." Michael was laughing again. "She still had the joint in her hand. I found out later that mom knew the whole time, she just chose not to comment on it. Never understood why though?" He leaned forward against the table, craning his head to get a look at his mother.

"Sharon had already handled it," Helen shrugged. "Besides, after we sent you four to bed, we sat there and smoked that baby."

The boys stared at the two ladies, jaws hanging open. "Sharon!" Rusty could hardly manage to get the word out of his mouth.

"What?" She blinked at him and smiled, a little too innocently. "I wasn't going to flush a perfectly good specimen of mountain green."

He gaped at her, unable to imagine his proper, rule abiding adopted mother doing anything even remotely illegal, much less smoking dope. "What if you had, like, failed a drug test at work or something!"

"Oh Honey," Sharon smiled warmly at him. "I was the person that people called when officers failed their drug tests. It was okay."

There was a loud round of laughter while Andy shook his head. "I always knew you weren't as perfect as you liked people to believe. It's always the quiet ones." He leaned over and kissed the side of her head.

"I was having a bad year," Sharon shook her head while the others continued to laugh. "I just turned forty, that was the year that Katie decided to be a real snot - typical fourteen/fifteen year old girl. Jack was being, well..." She rolled her eyes. "_Jack_. Then to top it all off, there's this cocky, pain in the butt, trouble every fifteen seconds detective at work who is making my life so many levels of hell. My phone is ringing almost around the clock because this _joker_ cannot behave himself the minute I turn my back. If it's not one thing, it's another, and he's calling me himself, so of course I'm starting to think that he's doing it on purpose."

"Reason number 982 to never choose a career in Internal Affairs," Anna stated with a grin.

"So I was beginning to think," Sharon agreed. "It got to the point that I was tempted to make a case for harassment, I was really starting to believe this guy was personally trying to drive me crazy."

"Nah." Andy lifted his napkin to his mouth. "I just thought you were cute."

There was a round of chuckles. "He's not kidding," Rusty said, shaking his head. "It's the LAPD equivalent of pulling a girl's pigtails."

It only took one look at the amused expression on Andy's face, and the way Sharon was rolling her eyes for them to realize that she was, really, talking about her fiancee. "He would call me at two in the morning, eleven at night, whatever, whenever…"

"Well you wouldn't go out with me," Andy deadpanned.

"I was _married_." She poked his side.

"Didn't stop you from eating his face last Christmas," Rusty muttered into his glass.

"Score!" Katie and Ricky high-fived over his head. "I told you he would work that in," the former stated proudly.

"It was probably the last bit of mileage it was ever going to get," Ricky stated with a grin. "Well played little protégé."

"You really could have gotten a puppy," Andy told her with a grin.

"Hm." Sharon tilted her head and hummed. "But I brought you home instead."

"Wicked, wicked witch," he murmured and leaned forward to kiss her.

"Rule three violation," Rusty pointed out with a groan.

"Just like his mother…" Andy feigned an aggrieved sigh, much to the amusement of the others.

"It never fails." Patrick and his wife had looked on with amusement while their grandsons told their little story. Now the patriarch of the family leaned back in his seat to chuckle. "Whenever the kids think they want to sneak off and get into a little trouble, they always head down to the wharf. Our kids did it, their kids have done it, and now the next group will probably do it too."

"Each one never believing the older generation did it first," David chuckled.

"What they've all failed to realize," Bill nodded and smiled when his wife topped off his iced tea. "Is that half of them were all conceived down at the wharf."

"Dad!" Adam covered his face. "I did not need to know that. I'm pretty sure the others agree with me."

"Oh god." Christine slumped where she sat. "Those are mental images that are never going away."

"Burned forever onto the insides of your eyelids," Ricky stated with a sigh. "It's worse when its up close and personal, but hey, sucks to be you."

"I wouldn't get so cocky about it if I were you." David snickered.

"What?" Ricky leaned around to get a look at his mother. "Nuh uh."

"I don't know what any of you are talking about." Sharon stuffed a piece of bread in her mouth.

Lillian laughed quietly. "Oh honey, you can try, but we _all_ know better."

"No," she said at length. "That was Helen, I was the good one."

Her sister gasped. "Daddy, she's lying." She pointed at Sharon and gave him a wide-eyed innocent look. "I was not the one sneaking out of the house at sixteen to go make out with Chris Sheehan in the back of his daddy's Impala."

"Some things never change," Susan looked across at Andy, then shared a look with the other spouses, including Daniel. "Get these four together and they start acting like their sixteen again."

"No, you were just the one making out with Tommy Sheehan in the front seat of their daddy's Impala," Sharon shot back, ignoring her sister-in-law. "Do _not_ pin that one entirely on me."

"Oh my god," Helen sat upright and looked at her, laughing. "Do you remember the night Uncle Jamie caught us."

"Oh no." Sharon covered her face with both hands. "I had forgotten all about that."

"Ahhh… poor Uncle Jamie, never quite the same after that," David was wiping his eyes he was laughing so hard.

"No, he wasn't." Patrick shook his head. "But you girls never snuck out of the house again." He nodded firmly.

"Hm." Sharon looked away. "That might not be entirely true, Dad."

"_Always_ the quiet ones," Andy chuckled. "How did I never know you were so bad."

"Well, you know what they say about preachers' kids, and cops' kids," Bill pointed at his _former_ sister-in-law and her siblings, his best friends. "I found out early that the same is true of Judges' kids."

"We all went a little wild at some point," Alan said. "The girls were sneaking out with boys, David and I were sneaking out with girls. We drank too much, smoked too much…"

"…and thought we were getting away with all of it," David said. "Dad might not have had a clue, but mom always knew about it." He nodded to the silently chuckling Miranda. "Just like you all always thought you were getting away with it. We'd already been there and bought several of the t-shirts."

"Although, I have to admit…" Helen sat up and gestured at her siblings. "We got into our own fair share of trouble. We turned out more or less okay, the jury is still out on Alan, but for the most part…" She and the others laughed while he made a face at her. "I do have to say, no matter how much trouble we always got into, we could always count on Daddy's little princess to get us out of it."

"I'll be giving lessons later," Sharon drawled with a smile and a shrug.

"Now it all makes sense." Andy arched a brow at her. "I understand how it is that you are so good at looking for loopholes."

"That, and how I could always see through all your crap," She grinned brightly at him.

Andy laughed. "Takes one to know one?"

"Exactly." She bumped her knee against his and her eyes sparkled a little more. "We can go down to the wharf later and discuss a Rule 2 violation."

"Oh man." Rusty's head hit the table with a thud, while on either side of him, his _siblings_ snorted and fell into riotous laughter.


	3. Chapter 3

Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness

By Kadi

Rated T

* * *

After dinner, while the _kids_ were tasked with cleaning up, the adults had retired to their own activities. A small group had gathered to watch Patrick and Rusty play a game of chess toward a draw. They were well matched and neither could seem to find a way to best the other. Upon realizing the game wasn't going to find a conclusion anytime soon, Sharon and Andy had walked down the beach to find a few quiet moments alone.

They left their shoes behind, and strolled barefoot in the sand, fingers loosely twined together, shoulders brushing. "I'm sorry," Sharon gave him a sheepish smile. "I was hoping the first time we drove up it would be a little more… hmm… sedate affair." She chuckled quietly. "I'm afraid we're a bit of a loud, rambunctious bunch." They were not entirely traditional, but it was a large Irish Catholic family, by modern standards.

"Don't be." Andy slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer while they walked. "You're all close. That's great. I remember similar times, back in Jersey. It's good. I like this side of you." He was still learning more about her, even after all these months together.

"Hmm." She wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned into his side. "Rusty seemed okay, though, didn't he? It wasn't too much for him, so soon after everything else?"

"Sharon." Andy chuckled quietly and let his hand slide down to rub her back. "Rusty is fine. Right now he is completely focussed on the game, and how to get the upper hand on your dad. He's nervous, yeah, because he doesn't want to disappoint you, but I think he's going to be okay. He's settling in with everyone, and it helps that the other kids are closer to his own age. You don't have to worry. Ricky and Katie have his back, you've got good kids, babe. They have every reason to be jealous, or mistrustful, or even wary of the kid, and they're not. You did real good there."

"Have I mentioned lately that I really love you?" She stopped walking and turned to smile up at him. "You are too good to me."

"I think it's something you might have mentioned," Andy smiled down at her. He reached out and flipped her hair back over her shoulder before letting his hands move to her waist and draw her forward into the circle of his arms. "You're a good mom. Rusty is surrounded by family, but they're strangers to him and you're worried. The thing is, that kid is made of pretty strong stuff, and you've done a really good job with him too. He's never had this kind of family before, hell, he never had a family to speak of. As nervous as he is, he's soaking it all up. I think if I were you I would be more worried about what he's learning from that Joey or Victoria, but they seem like they're good kids too. Police Officers both of them, which is probably why Rusty is identifying so well with them and the other officers you've got in the family." He dropped his head and brushed a quick kiss across her lips. "Stop worrying. Relax. It's the first real vacation you've had in too damned long, your medical leave doesn't count."

"Who is being bossy now?" Sharon slipped her arms around him and leaned in to lay her head against his shoulder. "What about you? How are you doing with all of this?"

"You're here. That's all I need." His hands moved slowly up and down her back while he smiled. "I like them. They're good people. I like that your brothers still think they need to protect you by giving me the third degree." Andy chuckled at the memory, especially when she groaned. "Sharon, it was fine. I'd feel the same way, I'm sure. It was actually pretty funny. I haven't felt like that since I was about sixteen."

"I should shoot them both." Sharon sighed.

Andy laughed. "Well, when I told them about the bean bag incident they backed right off. There's a healthy dose of… uh… respect there, now."

"Yeah right." Sharon turned away from him to continue walking down the beach. "They're plotting my demise, I know it. You don't know my brothers."

"Well, my money is on you." Andy took her hand again and looked around. There was an old pier not far away, and behind them the faint glow from the beach houses and the small, beach bonfire the kids had built. They could just hear the sound of music and laughter, floating along on the wind, barely discernible above the sound of the waves as the tide rolled in. There was an almost full, bright moon above them.

"Good grief this thing is dilapidated." Sharon shook her head when they neared the old wharf, which was little more than a haphazardly leaning pier now. "I must be really old now, because this thing has always been in horrible shape." She walked over and took a seat on one of the large, fallen logs that always seemed to wash up and be available around this end of the beach. When he sat beside her, she leaned into his side and slipped her arms around one of his. "I haven't been down here in years. Not since the night I busted the boys."

Andy started laughing again. "Then sat out on the porch and smoked their dope."

"Absolutely." She leaned her cheek against his shoulder. "It was Helen's idea. She was always getting me into trouble."

"I can't imagine anyone convincing _you_ to do anything you don't want to do, babe." Andy kissed the top of her head. "Well, your secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone that you were once a pot smoking hippy sneaking out to go riding around in cars with boys."

"Do you really think anyone would believe you?" She chuckled quietly. "Sometimes I look back on all of that and I don't quite believe it myself."

"You've got a point." He shook his head. "I know none of the squad would ever believe it. Provenza would probably check me into a mental hospital somewhere for suggesting it."

"More than likely." She tilted her head back after a moment and let her gaze sweep the moon lit expanse of beach. "The things we did. I'm amazed sometimes that we even survived to be adults, much less upstanding ones. We'd jump off that pier, and looking at it now, I'm surprised it's even still standing. It was a wreck even then. We'd sneak down here at night, party with our friends. Drink too much, smoke too much, and then sneak back into the house right before the sun came up. I think about what kids have to deal with now, and we were so normal, innocent really, by comparison. Then later we were all sneaking down here for entirely different reasons." Sharon sighed, and it was just a little bit wistful. "I lost something down here."

"Hussy." Andy was grinning at her, but his eyes were warm. She had a happy, sort of contented look on her face. He reached out and took one of her hands, drew it to his mouth and let his lips brush her knuckles in a soft caress. "Jack?"

"Hmm." Sharon nodded. "I was nineteen, and oh so idealistic. Bill was going to be here with Alan, they were both on leave, and their parents had died a couple of years before. Neither of them really had any family to speak of. An aunt and uncle that they really didn't speak to much, or know very well. I guess you could say we adopted them in more ways than one. My father was never very fond of Jack, though. He was too charming, to quick with a joke or a laugh, or to pour a drink. I didn't see it. I was too young, too in love with the idea of _being_ in love. I think I was over compensating a little too. If I was the good one, he would be too, and if I loved him enough, and gave him enough, it would _be_ enough." She looked at him and shrugged. "Well, you know how that turned out."

"I do." He stroked her fingers, seemingly so small and delicate. She was a strong woman, had needed to be. It was hard to imagine the idealistic, fun loving girl she had been before a marriage to Jack Raydor had forced her to grow up and harden. He saw glimpses of it now in their personal life, in the way she was in their home. A warmer, more loving woman he had never met. "We can't pick who we love Sharon. However it turned out, you've got the kids."

"Yes." She smiled at him. "So do you." Sharon tilted her head at him. "Nicole and Tony, and things are looking better there everyday." Tony had agreed to join them for the July fourth weekend, and although he would be staying with his sister, both of Andy's kids would be at his and Sharon's for a family barbecue that Saturday.

"It is, isn't it?" Andy's smile became much brighter. He filled with warmth at the thought of his kids and how far they had come. Even with the hesitation that Tony continued to show, and the plans that had been cancelled, rescheduled, and postponed over the past several months… it was still an improvement over how things used to be. Sharon had helped, but they were all working hard to be a family again, or so she was always pointing out to him. With her hand in his, his thumb swept over her engagement ring. "We're going to have to tell the squad, now."

"Yes." She smiled. "I'm not thinking they'll be very surprised. It isn't a secret that we're living together now." After the attack she had never gone home. Sharon and Rusty had moved in with Andy, and once repaired and remodeled, they had sold her condo. "We should really tell your kids first."

"Sharon." Andy chuckled. "Nicole helped me pick out the ring."

"I knew it!" She nudged him. "That was why she all of a sudden just had to go shopping with me, and no matter what, we needed to drop her bracelet to be fixed. You…" She huffed playfully and rolled her eyes at him.

"You never wear much jewelry, how else was I supposed to know what you'd like." Andy slipped down into the sand and leaned back against the log, which was much easier on his old body. He pulled Sharon down between his legs and wrapped his arms around her.

"You could have asked." She wriggled back against him. There was still warmth in the sand, left over from the day, but the air was cooling.

"That would have spoiled the surprise." He nosed her hair aside and let his lips brush her neck. "Which would have ruined my shock when you said yes. I was completely geared up for being let down."

Sharon craned her head back and kissed him. "You looked worse than you did the day you asked me to the ballet. You had me worried that something was actually wrong, or you had changed your mind."

"Never," he said against her lips. "Love you." His hands moved down her sides to slide beneath the sheer blouse and camisole she was wearing. His lips trailed down her neck while his fingers swept across her stomach. When she sighed and shuddered against him, his lips curled into a smile. "What do you say we make some new memories down here…"

"Hmm…" She turned and laid her arms over his shoulders, while straddling his lap. "Too much sand. I have a better idea." Sharon bent her head and kissed her way along the curve of his jaw. "David has an old Impala in the garage, let's go _borrow_ it and drive out to the bluff, we can climb in the backseat."

"That has some promise to it." His hands slid down to cup her bottom and draw her more fully against him. She could drive him to distraction with a look, or even a sound. There was no comparison for the way he felt with her in his arms.

"Mmhmm." She hummed his neck. Her teeth scraped against his pulse. She pushed her hands into his hair, let her nails graze the back of his neck, at his hairline. "I thought I wanted to spend forever with the first boy I climbed into the backseat of a car with," she murmured.

"Yeah." His hands slid up her sides again, and the soft moan he drew from her when his thumbs brushed the sides of her breasts went straight to his lap. "Sharon." He groaned when she moved against him. "Babe, you're killin' me." He drew her back enough that he could lean up and capture her mouth.

Her sigh was lost into the heat and insistence of his kiss. It was liquid heat, his mouth and hands, and the way he could make her almost forget all reason. It was all consuming, and she just wanted to whimper and writhe against him until they both were lost in the flames. "Andy," her voice was thick, rasping with desire, breathless with need. "I want to raise grandkids and grow older with the last boy I climb into the backseat of a car with."

He hummed, and drew back to look up at her. Her eyes were dark, but the color was lost in the moonlight. He could imagine the deep emerald shade, the way the gold flecks lit up in the soft light, seeming to glow. He cupped her face in his hands, and let his thumb sweep her kiss swollen lips, before moving to her jaw and down the side of her neck. "You know, I think I could live with that."

"Yeah?" She turned her face into his hand, rubbed her cheek against his palm.

"Yeah." He leaned up and kissed her again, and then set her off his lap, because Andy knew that if he didn't, they were going to end up violating a lot more than rule number two. He had to take a deep breath and concentrate on the cool ocean breeze before standing and offering her his hand.

Sharon stood up and dusted sand off her pants, while he did the same. They made the walk back the way they had come, but turned off before reaching her parents house to _borrow_ that car from her brother.

The sound of the Impala starting up and moving down the drive was not lost on those familiar with the vehicle. David shook his head. "Guess I wasn't the only one who had that idea."

His wife laughed and pushed him away from her. "You are completely incorrigible."

"You know…" Alan slanted a look at his brother. "If we were the dutiful brothers we like to believe we are, we'd do what we used to do when she snuck out to go riding with boys."

David arched a brow at him. "I'm almost sixty. I think I'm a little bit too old to be going out and beating the crap out of some guy for getting to second base with my little sister."

"I think second base is the least of your worries at this point," Lynette snickered. "And you will not be bothering your sister." She poked her husband's side.

"Neither will you." Susan made a face at her own husband. "You leave your sister alone, Alan Cavanagh. Or you won't be riding with me anywhere, anytime soon."

The men pouted at their wives. "But honey," Alan continued. "She's our sister. It's our duty to make sure that she is well taken care of." He looked around the kitchen, where the older adults had retreated to so that the kids could play and carry on without their old parents looking on. Alan was leaned back against a counter, a cup of decaf coffee in hand. "Bill?"

He tilted his dark head, more salt and pepper now than anything and considered. His wife was leaning against his side while he played with the ends of her dark hair. "Well, I can understand the sentiment. What I think we need to keep in mind is the fact that she is armed and can outshoot all of us. No, I think at this point in her life, Sharon is on her own." He lifted his cup to his mouth and grinned behind it.

Lillian poked his side. "You get points for recognizing the danger, but honestly. You men." She rolled her eyes at them. "You're worse than the kids. You do all remember that we're middle-aged adults, and sliding down the wrong side of middle aged?"

"Unfortunately." David shook his head. "When the hell did we get so old." Their parents had retired, giving it up for the evening, and he was considering just how late he dared stay up. "They'll be going all night," he nodded his head toward the beach, and the multiple games that were going on. "We'll be the ones listening for the grandkids to wake up."

Alan snorted. "Speak for yourself. My girls are still happily single." He gave a nod. His little Erin had brought a boyfriend home just that spring, however, and he could see the change coming on the horizon. One by one his babies would begin settling down and having babies of their own, like the nieces and nephews had done.

"Your day is coming." Helen poured herself another cup of coffee and moved back to the stool she was occupying next to her husband. "Sharon cheated. She married a man with grandkids."

"Step-grandkids," Daniel pointed out for his wife. "But you're right, that's cheating." He wrapped his hands around his own coffee mug and regarded his in-laws. "What did you think of him?" He decided to ask the one question he figured they were all thinking. It was safe to discuss now, the kids were all safely occupied outside.

"Is it our place to say?" Bill shifted against the counter and pulled his wife in front of him. His arm curled around her and he rested his chin against her shoulder. "As long as she's happy, should it matter what we think?"

"It shouldn't matter to Sharon," Helen said, "and no, it isn't our place to say, but we're not telling her. We're telling each other." She turned her cup in her hands and sighed. "He's an alcoholic," she said matter-of-factly, putting it out there without judging.

"He was honest about that," David pointed out. "He's been sober more than fifteen years."

"Divorced," Alan said. "Ex-wife is a piece of work from what the kids have found out."

"So is her ex-husband," Bill said it, because he knew his friends were too respectful of him to say it themselves.

"He's a cop," Susan said. "Homicide detective, that's high stress for an alcoholic in recovery."

"He didn't so much as bat an eye when we poured wine at dinner, or the beers the boys had," Lynette stated with a smile. "I was more concerned with the fact that he's a vegetarian."

"That's healthy," Helen said. "For a man his age, in a high stress career. It's actually good for him." Her lips pursed. "They've moved into this thing awfully quick, don't you think?" She worried her bottom lip and glanced from her brothers to her sisters-in-law.

"They seem to have known each other a long time," Lillian said. "Maybe it isn't as fast as we think."

"Are we worrying because it's happening too fast, because we don't like him, or because of her history," Susan asked.

The group fell silent for a moment. David drummed his fingers against the counter top. "History," he decided. "I like him. Bill, I'm sorry, I have to say it. I know the man is your brother, and I have never held that against you. I like him a hell of a lot better than that bastard she was married to."

"It's nothing I haven't said or thought myself," Bill agreed. "I watched them earlier. I don't think I've seen her like that since we were all kids ourselves. Hell, we're all old, and getting older everyday. We're talking about having grandkids, and worrying about who our sister is marrying. There is something profoundly wrong with us."

"I think you summed it up with _we're old_," Alan chuckled. "What did the kids say? You talked to Rick?" He directed the question toward his old friend.

"I did." Bill nodded thoughtfully. "He likes him. They both do. He's been down to LA a few times, just to check on things, especially since the attack and everything that went on with that trial. Richard likes what he's seeing. Wishes she'd done this sooner, for all of them. He's still wanting to transfer down, as soon as a spot opens up."

"So the general consensus is then, that we think he's okay." Helen nodded slowly. "I think I like him. Sharon and I had lunch a couple of months ago when I was down there for the Cardiology conference. I didn't get to meet her Flynn, he was out with the team at a crime scene. I was surprised by the fact that, everything that happened, and that little heifer looked younger."

Her sisters-in-law laughed, along with their husbands. "Helen!" Susan was shaking her head.

"Well she does." Helen put her chin in her hand and pouted. "It's not fair. I wish I could claim she's had some work done, but I'd be able to spot it a mile away."

"Now honey…" Daniel reached over and stroked her back. "You're still the most gorgeous girl at the dance."

She looked over at him and smiled. She had met him in college, and had married during their senior year. Daniel had been patient with her all through medical school and her residency, putting off buying a house or having children until she was established professionally. "I'm already sleeping with you, it's okay honey, flattery can't get you any farther." She gave his leg a pat.

"Never hurts to keep trying," he toasted his brothers-in-law with his cup.

"Then I guess we're not going to drive out to the bluff and shine one of the boys' police lights into the car?" Alan arched a brow at them.

David weighed the consequences. "Don't feel like getting shot," he decided.

"So, then we should turn in, like the old farts we are and get up at an ungodly hour in the morning and torture our children by being incredibly loud?" Alan smirked deviously.

The adults were silent for a moment as they looked around the kitchen at each other. "Most definitely," they chorussed.

It was much later when Sharon and Andy returned from their joyride in the Impala. They placed it back in the garage where they'd found it and walked hand in hand back toward her parents' beach house. The party outside had started to die down, there were fewer of the cousins still hanging around. The small bonfire had burned down to almost nothing. Sharon spotted her nieces and nephews, seated now with their spouses and speaking quietly, enjoying the quiet time away from kids and what not. The others were draped over lounge chairs, drinks still in their hands, but not quite as boisterous as they had been.

On the porch, they found Rusty reading quietly in the swing. Katie was with him, head pillowed on his leg. He looked up as they approached. "Hey," he held a finger to his lips. "Ricky is coming back for her. He took Vic inside, they got wasted." He rolled his eyes, but grinned. After living with Sharon, he was able to tell the difference between his mom's addition issues and the social side of drinking. It still didn't interest him, personally, but he had enjoyed watching his _siblings_ and their cousins have their fun.

"How much did she have?" Sharon knelt in front of the swing and swept her daughter's hair back from her face, concerned. Katie was thin, although well muscled, but incredibly thin due to her profession. She was a healthy eater, but had to maintain her delicate weight to keep dancing.

"Just a couple of shots," Rusty said with a shrug. "It's okay, Ricky was watching. She was just tired already. Her flight got in late last night, and we headed down here kind of early. He doesn't drink? Like, he had one beer all night."

"Not since he was about twenty," Sharon said. "He got really drunk at a frat party one night, ended up really sick, and swore he'd never drink that way again. He didn't. I think he was more afraid he'd end up like his father than anything." She combed her fingers through her daughter's hair. "Katie, baby, come on."

"Uhn nuh," she grunted and wriggled away.

"It's okay, Sharon." Rusty shrugged. "She's not bothering me. Ricky should be back in a minute."

"I've got her." Andy nudged Sharon out of his way and reached down to lift the young woman into his arms. Although she was a bit taller than her mother, she weighed almost nothing. "Can you get the door babe?"

Sharon pulled open the screen door and stepped back while Andy maneuvered her daughter into the house. She paused, just inside, "Rusty, bed."

"Yep." He grinned as he closed his book and retrieved his shoes. Oddly, it didn't bother him that she kept forgetting he was eighteen now, and legally, an adult. She did the same thing with her own kids… which, he was legally now one of. It was, comforting, honestly, to know that she was treating him like them; it made it all just so _normal_.

Andy met Ricky in the short hall that lead to the family room the kids were camping out in. "Looks like you had a good time."

"Yeah," he smiled a little sheepishly. "We usually do. It's going to be an interesting morning. I can take her." He nodded toward his sister. "I was just coming back out to bring her in."

"I've got it. Why don't you check and see if anyone else needs help finding their bed," Andy grinned knowingly.

"Right." Ricky slipped past them in the hall. "Who was left," he asked his mom.

"Michael and Jill, but they seemed fine." Sharon told him. "Christine and Jacob were already headed back to your Uncle's. Steven, Joey and Little David seemed fine."

"They were, hey kid," he said to Rusty behind her. "Joey has to drive back to Uncle Bill's place, and Dave wasn't drinking because of the pills he's taking with his knee surgery. I got Vic to blow the breathalyzer, she's fine. Toasted, but she's alright. I poured some water down her before she laid down. I don't think Katie had much at all, mom."

"Ricky, honey, you're all adults." She gave his arm a pat. "I'm not mad. I just want to make sure everyone makes it to where they belong."

"Ah." He grinned crookedly at her, now that he realized he wasn't going to be busted. "Well, I think we did alright. I mean, we weren't the ones stealing cars to go necking." He hurried down the hall to go take one last look around outside at his cousins before she could retaliate.

"Chicken," She called after him.

"Which bed?" Andy looked at Rusty as he and Sharon stepped into the room behind him.

"Over here," Rusty walked over and pulled the blankets back on the camp bed in the corner, before sliding out of the way to grab his stuff and go get ready for bed.

Sharon watched Andy settle her daughter onto the camp bed and tuck her in and fell even more in love with him. How his own kids could ever doubt him, she didn't know, and despised his ex-wife for her part in it. She moved over and combed Katie's hair back again. She tucked the blanket around her, as she had liked when she was a child and leaned down to press a kiss to her temple. "Night baby. Love you."

Katie made an incoherent noise and wriggled on the air mattress before settling down into sleep again. Andy took Sharon's hand and drew her out of the room. "Come on," they made their way down the short hall toward the old, creaking stairs that would take them up to the second floor and their room. "The kids are alright."

They passed Rusty coming out of the first floor bathroom. "Good night Sharon, Andy."

"Night kid."

"Good night, Rusty." Sharon stopped beside him and tilted her head. "Okay?" He seemed just fine, or she wouldn't have left him with the kids and the rest of her family to go fooling around with Andy, but needed to check just one more time.

"_Sharon_." Rusty rolled his eyes at her and smiled. "There's such a thing as too much. We're getting close to that."

"I'm sorry," She smiled. "I'll stop hovering."

"Thanks." He started down the hall. "I'll see you in the morning."

She watched him go and started up the stairs with Andy. "Yes, the kids are just fine," she agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness

By Kadi

Rated T

* * *

Saturday arrived bright and early, a little too bright for some. Breakfast was a slightly less boisterous affair than the previous evening's dinner had been. Most of the Raydor side of the family had gone back to Bill and Lillian's house in the village the previous evening, with only Victoria remaining. She had gone home after breakfast, but the cousins would come and go throughout the long, holiday weekend, as would all of the younger generation as they broke off into groups to have their own fun.

Coffee and cool sand, with the breeze coming in off the water made the morning in Summerland both beautiful, and a welcome escape from the city. Andy leaned against the porch rail and watched the ebb and flow of the waves. The kids were still coming and going, finding their way in to breakfast, while the older generation had been up for hours. It was rather amusing, watching the fatigue and hangovers, and the way it seemed to recede after protein and caffeine was consumed. It made Flynn feel incredibly old.

"God." Katie slipped her shades over her eyes as she shuffled out onto the porch. "Does it have to be so bright and cheerful." She had a cup of coffee in one hand and a piece of bacon in the other. She propped her hip against the rail and leaned against his side. "Make it stop."

"Nope." Andy grinned. "Serves you right."

"Tequila is evil," she groaned. "Jose Cuervo should be strung up by his heels and beaten to death."

"That's the spirit." He toasted her with his cup. "Eighty pound girls should not imbibe the hard stuff. Stick to your mom's moscato, kid."

"One-twenty-six, thank you very much." Katie made a face at him. Then she bit off a piece of bacon. "My hair hurts," she whined.

"Drink more coffee," he told her, chuckling quietly. She was her mother's daughter. Andy reached up and pushed his fingers into her hair, lightly rubbing her scalp.

"Hm. Okay." Katie sighed happily. "She can keep you, Andy-shaped-dad." She looked around. "Where is mom anyway?"

"Shower." Andy did a double take at her, then just shook his head and smiled into his coffee cup, he was both touched and amused. Katie was very much the free spirit that her mother described her as. No one ever knew what, exactly, she was going to say or do. Like her mother, when she did make up her mind, that was it. She had, apparently, decided she liked him. Andy was happy about that, with all of the issues he had with his own kids, even now, to have Sharon's accept him so easily was filled him with warmth. Especially given the similar history. They could have easily decided to dislike him, to mistrust him, and classify him in the same category as their father, but amazingly enough they were accepting enough to take him as he was now. Andy lifted his cup again and sipped. He would give anything for a morning like this with Nicole, or even Tony, but found he was content to stand there with Katie. "She went or a run this morning," he explained with a slightly crooked smile.

"She really is a freak of nature," Katie decided. "It's vacation. Even I'm not exercising." She heaved a sigh. "Got aspirin?"

"Sorry kiddo," Andy could sympathize. He had been there, many times and in far worse condition during the years he was drinking. "I'm sure there's something around here somewhere. You should ask your grandmother."

"Oh no." Katie shook her head and regretted it. "I know better than to go to Gram with a hangover. Nope. I'll live."

He chuckled at that. "We'll raid your mom's bag when she gets out of the shower."

"That's better." Katie smiled. She looked up at him and he was staring out at the beach and the pacific. "What's up?" She stuffed the last of her bacon into her mouth and cupped her coffee cup in both hands.

"Hm?" He glanced down at her. "Oh…" Andy shrugged. "Nothing. Just enjoying the view. I was thinking of asking Sharon if she wanted to get married up here. It's such a nice change from the city. No smog. Actual clouds. It's really nice."

"I think she'd like it." Katie's smile brightened. "Here and Park City are like her two favorite places on the planet. Snow covered mountains or sunny, gorgeous beach. I think it depends on how long you want to wait before you make it official."

"I'm not holding out for snow covered mountains," Andy said definitively. "I need to get her signed on the dotted line before she wakes up and decides she's made a mistake."

The sound rang through her head, making it ache all the more, but Katie's head fell back and she laughed. "Never going to happen. Promise." She tilted her head and laid it against the side of his shoulder again and let her gaze sweep the too bright sandy beach and glistening waves. "This weekend would have been perfect for it. The whole family is already here."

"They just met me, Katie." Andy shook his head at her. "No, I won't put your mom on the spot like that. Coming back in a few weeks does sound appealing, though. Or maybe later in the summer. Although she and I have both done the big, family wedding thing. I think we were considering something a little more… civil. Intimate. You kids, her folks, our squad—maybe."

"Fine." Katie sighed at him. "Spoil my fun. Rain on my beach parade. I could have so had this thing planned and executed like _that_." She snapped her fingers at him.

"Of that, I have no doubt. You are your mother's daughter in a lot of ways." Andy smiled fondly down at her. "Nah, let your mom do this one."

"Let mom do what?" Sharon was leaning against the door, watching them. It never ceased to amaze her just how accepting the kids were of this relationship. She stepped out onto the porch to join them.

"Plan the wedding." Katie looked back at her mother and gave her a pout. "Momma, my head hurts."

"Hmm." Sharon leaned back against the rail beside her and held up a bottle. She gave it a light shake. Aspirin rattled against plastic. "Good thing I brought this then?"

"Best mom _ever_." Katie took the bottle before Sharon could change her mind and then laid her head on her mother's shoulder.

"Well, considering that I am your only mother, I'm going to take that as a compliment." Sharon reached up to gently rub her scalp, much as Andy had been doing earlier, although she didn't realize it. "Go take a couple of pills, baby, and eat something."

"Okay." Katie stood there for another couple of moments before shuffling inside to do just that.

Andy shook his head and chuckled quietly. "Tequila is evil, so she tells me. That girl is something else." He curled an arm around his lover and drew her closer. "Turns out, I'm the Andy-shaped-dad."

"Oh really?" Sharon laughed as she moved in to his arms. He placed his coffee cup on the porch rail and wrapped both of them around her, drawing her back to his chest. "Is that what she said?" She laid her head against his shoulder. "Is that okay?" Sharon chewed on her bottom lip, only slightly concerned that it might be more than he was looking for. It didn't last long, it was only a fleeting emotion. He knew that she was a packaged deal.

"Yeah, that's okay." Andy dropped a quick kiss to her shoulder. "Love you, love your kids, right?"

"That's right." She turned in his arms and kissed the tip of his chin. "You were talking to Katie about the wedding?"

"I thought we might want to come back up here to do it." Andy shrugged. "I like it. It's peaceful."

"Hmm." She leaned back against the rail. "Too bad we don't have Nicole or Tony, this weekend would have been perfect for it. At least for having all three of my kids in one spot, along with mom and dad. Which is really all I need."

"I thought so." He grinned. "I managed to dissuade her from any wild planning ideas. I hope."

"I'd talk to her again after the hangover wears off if I were you," Sharon turned back around so she could lean against him again. "What did you want to do later? Helen and the girls are wanting to go shopping."

"Shopping." Andy settled his hands on her shoulders and started rubbing. "You're not going to pass that up, so I think I'm going to probably hang around here and keep the kid company. I've got a Fox sports app on my iPad, I might catch a game."

"Are you sure?" Her lips pursed. She felt guilty about leaving him alone with so many unknown people.

"Sharon, go shopping with your sisters," he kissed the back of her head. "Have lunch, get a manicure, whatever. I'm not going anywhere, and I can amuse myself." A grin tugged at his lips. There was pure mischief in his gaze. "I'll call Louie and tell him we're getting married. He'll have all weekend to stew over it before we get back to work on Tuesday."

She laughed outright at that. "Oh you are horrible." Her arms folded around his and she leaned more comfortably back around him again. "I love it. You should definitely do that." She turned in his arms a moment later and kissed him. "Okay. Shopping I will go."

"Good." His arms settled loosely around her. "Do me a favor, get something red." His brows bobbed playfully, making her laugh. He loved watching her laugh, seeing the carefree look that was so often missing due to their jobs, her reputation, and the general realities of life.

"I'll see what I can do." She leaned up and kissed him, once, twice, and then stepped away. "I'm letting the girls know. Do you need me to pick up anything?"

"Just something red. Preferably short." He continued to grin at her, but his smile softened. "Have fun."

She smiled back before stepping into the house to find her sisters, check on Rusty, Katie and fill Ricky in on the day's plans. It took them an hour to get organized and ready to go, but the ladies finally made it into Lynette's SUV. It was just the sisters and their brothers' wives, and they made a stop to pick up Lillian, so that it was the five of them. They had long ago given up on the monicker which distinguished between _sister_ and _sister-in-law_, given that they had known each other practically their entire adult lives.

They drove the fifteen minutes into Santa Barbara to do their shopping, and the car was full of laughter and chatter. They chose a large, outdoor mall, interconnected streets and stores, all with outside access and two large anchor department stores, a Macy's and a Neiman Marcus. After parking, they strolled leisurely along one of the sidewalks, while trying to decide where they wanted to start.

Sharon had an arm looped through one of Susan's while they walked, Lillian beside her, with Helen and Lynette ahead of them. "Okay, tell me." She slanted a sideways look at Susan, usually the more opinionated of the group. She and Sharon were the same height and with similar builds, but she was a few years younger, and still very beautiful. Her blonde hair was worn in a short, stylishly layered bob, and like Sharon, she never missed a salon appointment.

On Sharon's other side, the petite and slender Lillian chuckled. She fell in between the two women beside her in age, but like Sharon, she continued to work. She taught at a local high school, and enjoyed it too much to give it up just yet. "Tell you what." Lillian's hazel eyes sparkled merrily at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"She wants to know what we think of the hunk." Lynette shot an amused smile back at them. She and Helen were older than the others, the grandmothers of the group. They had reached that point where they were closer to sixty than fifty, but managed to still feel like youthful ladies when they were together with their sisters and girlfriends.

"We discussed it after you left last night." Helen smirked. She knew that the moment they were away from the house, Sharon would begin her interrogation. "You knew that we would."

"Which is exactly why I would like to know what you decided." Sharon exhaled, feigning exasperation with them. "Not that it's going to matter to me, I'm still keeping him."

"Well of course you are," Susan laughed. "Once your mind is made up, that's it. We like him. He's funny, and I was especially touched that he sat down with Anna yesterday and described what it was like working homicide, the good, the bad, and the truly horrible. It terrifies me that she wanted to join the force, but you've made it seem so… possible, for the kids. Don't get me wrong, I have no issues with the profession, but—"

"Terrified." Sharon nodded. "I know. I've lost some sleep over it myself with Ricky, and of course the other kids too. But I love my job, Suz. It's not all bad, honey. It's not all completely dangerous either."

"We know," Lynette said. "Which is why we haven't strung you up for encouraging our babies to join you." She turned and flashed an all too sweet smile.

"Back to your question," Lillian stated, before the debate over law enforcement vs law interpretation could begin, "as long as _you _like him, and you obviously do, and you're happy, that's really all that should matter."

"And that Rusty is a sweetheart," Helen said. "He had little Mike crawling all over him for a good hour last night, and never once complained. Just tossed him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried him wherever he went."

"He's like that with Andy's grandsons too," Sharon's smile softened. "Those boys love him. He pretends to tolerate them, but I think it's mutual. He's a good boy. There are still a lot of rough edges though, but I think with the trial out of the way, we finally turned that crucial corner."

"What is he going to do about school?" Susan paused momentarily to look at a pair of shoes in a store window display.

"He got into USC, and Berkeley," Sharon smiled proudly, almost preening. "He didn't apply at UCLA, but it was one of our options. Rusty is insisting on looking at schools he can get the most amount of aid and scholarship money at, he's being resistant at letting me pay for any of it." She huffed at the thought. "Which means he's talking about LACC, and living at home for a couple of years, which suits me just fine. I'm not ready to let him out of my sight yet, and I know Rusty isn't ready for that either, but he could live at home and go to USC."

"What would you do if it were Ricky or Katie," Lillian asked with a smile. "He hasn't got a lot of time left, he needs to make a decision."

"I know," Sharon sighed. "Well, if it were one of them, I'd nail his butt to the ground, give him the tuition, and tell him to choose."

"Yes, so what's stopping you?" Helen smirked at her sister. "Shar, just do it. The boy wants to go to school, and he's yours now. Handle it."

"We'll see," Sharon snorted.

"Well, she could do that, if she wasn't so busy handling Andy," Lynette teased.

"Oh shush!" Sharon reached forward and nudged her shoulder. "You're one to talk. That Impala looked like it had been out recently."

"Yeah." She smiled wistfully and earned a round of laughter from the ladies. "You know, I have to hand it to you, sister, you don't do anything in half measures. You certainly managed to find one _sexy_ specimen of man for round two."

"Lynette!" Sharon blushed.

"What? I'm an old married woman, I'm not dead." She laughed. "He's hot."

"He is." Lillian agreed with a smile. "Nice butt."

"Oh god." Sharon turned her face into Susan's shoulder. "It is isn't it."

"Just a bit." Susan agreed with a smile. "He's a sweetheart, really. You found a winner this time."

"This time." Sharon rolled her eyes. "It just took my entire life to find him. Sort of." They walked toward the end of the lane, where Neiman Marcus stood, and it seemed their starting point was decided. "You all have known him for, what, a day… and you see how wonderful he is, and I just wish his kids could see that. I wish that his ex-wife would shut up long enough for them to see that. He did research for two days to help Rusty write a paper for his world history class, and if that _woman_ knew about it, she'd insist he only did it to further ingratiate himself to me, and I didn't even know about it until after the fact."

"I take it there's a lot of bad blood there," Lillian asked.

"It's…" Sharon sighed, she didn't want to speak out of turn about Andy's past, but he was always so open about it himself. "Not all that different from what I went through with Jack. The drinking, the stay out out all night, working all the time. The only difference was, he tried to be there for his kids. Even after Amanda left him, he went to recitals, went to games, sent money, he bought little league gear. He paid half their tuition, and for all of Nicole's braces and orthodontics. I would have given anything for Jack to have been like that with Ricky and Katie, and I know they would have too. He has tried so hard, and Nicole is seeing it now. It's really great that she's spending time with her father, and it means so much to Andy. But Tony…" Sharon trailed off, shaking her head. "He's cancelled plans to come down from Fresno so many times, and it breaks Andy's heart every time. He's supposed to be with us for the Fourth, and I know Andy is looking forward to it, but I'm just afraid that he's going to cancel again. Andy will be crushed, but he'll just… shrug it off and say it's no more than he deserves. When that simply isn't true!"

"It sounds like the ex-wife has been in their ears a lot," Susan ventured. The ladies stopped walking and sat on a pair of benches near the department store. "I've always thought that is so despicable."

"It happens more than you think," Lillian shook her head at them. "I see it all the time, parents playing their children against each other. Using the children as bargaining tools and weapons. The kids get caught in the middle, and they are the ones that ultimately end up suffering."

"What does Andy say about all of this?" Helen crossed her legs and leaned forward, studying her sister. She could see the inner turmoil, and could only imagine how hard it was to keep remaining neutral.

"He's afraid to rock the boat." Sharon tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Nicole has finally come around, but Amanda is still in the background. He loves those boys, her stepsons. But it really has helped her, so much, being close enough to _see_ the changes for herself. It's just hard, I just want to get my hands on that… _woman_ he was married to and shake her."

"I have an idea." Lynette leaned forward. "Why not call them. I can understand why you would want to be more neutral, you don't want to risk being the reason that all this hard work blows up in his face, but… Sweetie, you're going to marry this man. Your kids adore him, and this family doesn't know boundaries. Once they're in, they're in. Katie already talks about Nicole like they're old friends, and Rusty was saying something about Ricky needing to come down in July for the Dodgers and Giants game, that he, Andy, and Nicole's husband are already going to?"

"Yes." Sharon smiled, and her eyes lit up. "Jake, that's Nicole's husband, loves baseball. Andy is a Dodgers fanatic," she rolled her eyes in amusement. "Jake loves the Giants, so there you have it. A familial rivalry is born." She chewed on the corner of her lip. "So, you're suggesting that I call Nicole and do what? Tell her that I think her mother is a raving harpy?"

"Tempting," Helen laughed. "But no. That probably wouldn't go over very well. No, I think you should invite them up." She nodded to Lynette. "She's right, maybe if they could see him, here, away from the raving harpy, it would go a long way toward… facilitating things."

"I don't know." Sharon leaned back and tapped her fingers against her mouth. "Nicole has met my kids, and Rusty has babysat for her a couple of times, but… we are not exactly a very hm… what is the word I'm looking for… sedate bunch."

"No, we aren't, but he's fitting right in," Susan agreed with her sisters. "Alan and David were going to take the boat out today, they were asking Andy when we left if he liked fishing. I'm sure if you text him, right now, he's out with them already. I think what Lynette is getting at, is that it would help for them to see him accepted by members of your family. We know his history, he isn't hiding it from us. Besides, this is a _family_ vacation isn't it?"

"You're keeping him," Lillian grinned. "So, technically, if you want us to guilt you into it… by not calling them, you're excluding his kids from your family vacation. You wicked, horrid thing."

Sharon rolled her eyes at them. "I haven't met Tony yet. I'll call Nicole, and we'll see. But I don't want to tell Andy about it until we have definite answers. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Helen leaned forward and slipped her hand into Sharon's purse. She came out with her phone and waved it in front of her face. "Start dialing sister."

"Oh alright." Sharon swept her thumb across the surface of her iPhone and scrolled through her contacts until she found Nicole's number. She sat back on the bench and crossed her legs. "Nicole, am I catching you at a bad time," she said, once her future step-daughter had answered.

"Sharon, of course not. I thought you and dad were heading north this weekend?" Nicole placed a cup of coffee in front of her husband with a smile and walked back into her kitchen. The boys were making a mess of their breakfast at the table. "Did something happen?"

It was that underlying note of doubt, the hint of mistrust that was so well ingrained in Nicole that Sharon thought she didn't even realize she was using it that steeled her resolve. "We did, and no, everything is great. Actually, I was just thinking. My sisters and I are shopping, so your dad doesn't even know I'm making this call. The girls and I were talking, and I just realized how completely and unspeakably unforgivable it was to drag Andy all the way up here with these people he doesn't even know. My kids are here, but you know what I mean."

"I do," Nicole laughed quietly. "I remember what it was like meeting Jake's family for the first time. I was terrified. Poor dad. It had to happen, you know, eventually." She tilted her head and wondered how that had gone. Was the rest of her family like Sharon, and if so, what did they think of him? Nicole wondered if they would have told her family all about his past.

"It did," Sharon agreed. "The thing is, Nicole, all the kids are here. And I'm just not sure when we'll get everyone together again." She waved off Susan who was making hand gestures for her to get it over with and turned away slightly with the phone. "I know it's last minute, and I'm sure you have plans this weekend, but I was wondering how you would feel about coming up with Jake and the boys. I admit, we're a huge, loud bunch. But I know it would mean the world to your dad if you could join us. We're fairly decently located to Fresno too, Tony could join us, and you know… maybe it would be easier for him with others around."

"I see." Nicole did. Tony had cancelled on their dad a few times now. Nicole was running out of excuses to make for him, and she could see it was having an effect on her dad. "Sharon, I don't know…" She hesitated, but the desire to be with her dad without her mother around belittling him was strong. Sharon was so great, and together they were so sweet. Her boys loved both of them, and they were hers. Connor and Devon were so young, and their mother had died only a few months after Devon was born. "We would really hate to bust in on your family. It's your vacation, you shouldn't be worrying about all of this."

Sharon smiled widely and gave her sisters the thumbs up. Then she stood up and walked away from them a few steps. "Nicole," she pitched her voice lower, the same comforting tone she used with her own children, Rusty included. "I know, that you know, your father asked me to marry him. He came clean about your help in finding the ring, which is absolutely beautiful, by the way. It isn't an imposition, this is me asking you to join us for the weekend, because I know how much it would mean to him. I'm also pretty sure it would mean a lot to you also."

"You really do love him, don't you?" Nicole wasn't as surprised by it as she thought she would be. It just amazed her that, after everything Katie had told her about her own father, that with those similarities, this woman who had already been down that road could consider taking a chance on her father.

"I really do, Nicole." Sharon tilted her head glanced back at her sisters, now talking amongst themselves. "I also care a great deal about you and the boys."

Nicole drummed her fingers against the counter and watched her boys. They adored her dad, and he was good with them. It reminded her of all the good times they'd had when she was little. "I have to talk to Jake," she began. "We didn't have any concrete plans, but I should really discuss it with him. Can I call you back?"

"Absolutely," Sharon smiled brightly, and sounded somewhat relieved. "Do you think it would help if I spoke to Tony?"

"Eventually." Nicole chewed on her bottom lip. "Right now leave my brother to me. I'll deal with him. I can't make any promises."

"I know honey, but it's enough that you're willing to try. I'll text you the address and directions. We're just off the 101, and if you'd be more comfortable, I'll be happy to put you up at the Summerland Inn."

"It will be fine," Nicole laughed. "You know, dad is right about you."

"Oh?" Sharon's brows lifted, despite going unseen. "How is that?"

"You are something else. Text me the address, I'll speak to Jake and send you back our answer. Then I'll talk to Tony," Nicole couldn't imagine Jake would have any issue. He was able to be more objective about all of it, and where she could sense Sharon wanted to but wasn't, Jake had no problems telling her that she should ignore her mother's bitter diatribes.

"Thank you, honey. It's on its way." Sharon disconnected the call and turned to her sisters. "I never expected that would actually work." She shook her phone at them. "And they call me wicked, you four are practically diabolical."

"Of course we are, darling." Helen stood up and shook her hair back. "Who do they think taught you everything you know?"

As the others laughed, they resumed their stroll toward Neiman Marcus, while Sharon quickly sent the text to Nicole with the address and directions to the beach house. "You should wait until you hear what else we've decided," Susan promised with a wicked laugh.

"Oh god." Sharon moaned. "This is not, in any way, going to involve us getting our clothes stolen again is it?"

"Lord no," Lillian laughed. "We aren't twenty-five anymore. If I go skinny dipping now it's going to involve a ten foot tall privacy fence."

"Don't worry, just relax," Lynette said. "Enjoy your day and let your sisters take care of everything."

"It always terrifies me when you say that," Sharon allowed herself to be pulled into the store. She would lose herself in retail therapy and try not to imagine all the different ways her sisters could be plotting against her.


	5. Chapter 5

Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness

By Kadi

Rated T

* * *

The fishing trip was a minor success, in at least, that no one was lost overboard. They spent most of the afternoon out on the water, enjoying the quiet, and the opportunity to interrogate Andy well away from their wives and sister. After bearing it well, and going along with the Cavanagh inquisition, David and Allen decided that they were right. They liked the guy. With only a meager catch to show for the day, but satisfied with getting out on the water, the men made it back to the beach house before their wives (or fiancee in Andy's case).

When the ladies returned several hours after leaving, they stowed away their purchases - of which there were many, mostly shoes. "We're going to need a bigger house," Andy decided. "I could turn the spare room into a closet, but where would the kids sleep?"

"Oh hush." Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "I got you something too." She smirked at him. "It's red, it's short, and there are heels."

"They can sleep on the living room floor," he decided immediately.

"I thought so." Sharon sent him back to his lounging and joined her sisters in the kitchen. They had stopped at the market on the way back, and were taking over dinner preparation for the evening. With so many mouths to feed, they decided to utilize both kitchens. Helen went with Lynette back to the second beach house, while Susan remained with Sharon, joined in no time by their daughters.

Katie, who was a well known disaster in the kitchen, was sent out to sit with the others. She folded her arms and huffed as she landed in a seat beside Andy on the swing. He was watching Rusty and her grandfather work their way toward another chess draw. "One little mishap…"

"She's underselling that," Rusty warned without looking up. "Not to mention, she almost burned the house down making cookies when she was here at Easter."

"I fell asleep," Katie said. "I was jet-lagged. It's not easy flying across country a day after wrapping the biggest show of the season."

Patrick Cavanagh looked up and gazed at his granddaughter over the rims of his reading glasses. "Katherine, we all love you, but you don't belong anywhere near a kitchen."

"It's okay," Andy reached out and gave her knee a light pat. "You're a New Yorker," he let the Jersey into his accent. "You don't have to cook, you can get takeout at two am."

Katie smiled brightly and leaned against his side. "You are the best."

"So I keep being told," he shook his head. "It's going to give me an ego problem."

"You already have one." Rusty glanced up to smile at him. "So I hear. Mostly from Lieutenant Provenza."

"He's one to talk." Andy leaned back on the swing and stretched his long legs out in front of him. "I could tell some stories, but Sharon would shoot me."

"I've heard some of those stories," Rusty warned. "She will shoot him. She might love him, but those two are the bane of her professional existence."

Andy looked at Katie and grinned crookedly. "I used to practice all the different ways I could get past that cool exterior."

"Huh." She regarded him, mischief in her gaze. "So, you finally realized it was better if you just started sleeping with her."

"Katherine." Patrick shook his head at her.

"Sorry grandpa." She flashed an unrepentant grin.

"Andy." Sharon strolled out onto the porch with her phone in her hand. She held out a hand when he looked up. "Come with me." She smiled at his puzzled look. "You're going to want to come along. I got you something else today…"

"It scares me when you're like this." She was looking just a little bit smug, but there was an air of uncertainty and anticipation surrounding her. Andy unfolded himself from the swing and let her pull him along. They left the porch and started down the stone path toward the drive. Two cars came around the lane from the main highway, and he squinted to make them out. The first was a red jeep wrangler that seemed unfamiliar. "You know, Sharon, that was sweet, but I'm not much a truck guy."

She poked his side. "Just wait." Nicole had called her just a few minutes before. She had timed her arrival with Tony's, so that they could meet in town and come out together. When the vehicles neared, she slipped an arm around his waist and leaned into his side.

Andy's brows drew together when he realized the second, dark sedan was his son-in-law's Camry. "Sharon, what did you do?"

"Hmm." She tilted her head at him and smiled. "Do? Who me?"

"You." Andy stared down at her, then looked away to find the jeep opening and someone stepping out. His heart clenched, and his stomach tightened. He found himself staring back at his son. "Sharon," he whispered her name and shook his head, not sure if he was really seeing what was in front of his eyes.

"Go on." She gave him a nudge forward and stood back to watch. "Go." Sharon planted her hand against his back and pushed. She folded her arms over her chest and watched while he walked slowly out to the parked cars to greet his kids.

Andy almost felt a little light headed. Never in a thousand years would he have expected Sharon, of all people, to pull off a scheme of Provenza proportions. Since, the last time someone got surprised by their kids showing up unexpectedly, it had been her, and the Lieutenant had a serious hand in it. Just when he didn't think that he could, even remotely, love her anymore, he realized how wrong he was. Andy had to shake his head to clear it. "Tony. Uh… hello, son."

Tony Flynn pushed the door of his jeep closed. His fingers twitched with nervous energy, and he fought the instinct to push his hands into the pockets of his jeans. When Nicole called him that morning, the last thing he expected was for her to give him explicit orders to join her for the evening, maybe even the rest of the weekend, with their dad at his new girlfriend's family's vacation home. Although, he guessed it was fiancee now, according to what Nicole said that morning.

It went in the face of everything his mom kept saying about his dad and this _so called_ relationship of his. She kept inferring that it wasn't real, or that his dad was just screwing some poor, lonely woman who was his boss to keep himself in a job. Then Nicole told him they'd moved in together, and now they were getting married. Next thing he knew, this lady wanted them to show up at her family's place, just to spend time with his dad. Tony was still skeptical, but Nicole was telling him to pull his head out. Jake even spoke up at that point, he really liked their dad. He knew and understood all the history and issues, but he liked the guy.

Tony had done some some research if his own. He googled this Sharon Raydor chick. From what he read, she was hell on wheels and had one tough reputation. Tony found it hard to believe that his dad could be pulling one over on her. Nicole had said that they had a long history at work, the lady used to bust his dad's tail all the time, and considering what he read about her being in Internal Affairs for so long… Tony could understand it. He could believe that. Now they were working together, and dating. The woman was risking her entire career on his dad. That had to mean something, right?

Tony glanced past him and spotted the woman who must surely be Sharon. She was a looker, not what he expected based on his mom's description of her. The pictures he found online hadn't done her justice. She was pretty in those, but in person, he could understand why Nicole thought their mom might feel… threatened, or somehow jealous. Those were exactly her words, and then swore him to secrecy and pain of physical reprisal if she ever repeated it to their mother.

Tony palmed the keys to his jeep and stepped forward. "Hey, dad. So… uh… rumor has it this is the happenin' place this weekend. Hope you don't mind us crashing." It was weird, that he would feel so nervous. His dad was the one that was never around, but Tony felt like his heart was going to bust right out of his chest and his stomach was all tied in knots.

"Well, you know…" A smile slowly tugged at Andy's lips. "I think we could make room for a few more. Seems like the lady back there went to a lot of trouble. I'd hate to have to disappoint her now."

"Nic said it was a surprise." Tony smiled, seeing that she was right. He craned his head to the side to peer past his father. "Not bad, old man."

"I think I'll keep her." Andy held out a hand and, when Tony reached out to shake it, he pulled him to a hug. He felt he was able to breathe for the first time since realizing who was in the jeep. "I'm glad that you could make it."

"Yeah." It felt a little awkward at first, but Tony leaned in to the hug. "Me too." He slapped him on the back and felt his smile widen. "Come on. We'll have to help Nic with her bags. You know how she is." Tony reached into the back of his jeep wrangler to pull out a single duffel.

"You should see what she brings for just an afternoon. The boys are five and six, she packs like they're toddlers." Andy rested a hand on his son's shoulder as they strolled around the jeep to help Nicole and Jake.

"Sharon?" Rusty and Katie had come around to see what was going on. They stood slightly back, out of the way, and watched the greeting. Once Andy and Tony moved on to Jake's Camry, he stepped forward to join her.

"Hi honey." Sharon made quick work at swiping at her eyes and then laying a hand on his arm, briefly. "I arranged for Nicole and Tony to join us. They're here for dinner, with the understanding that if things go well, they'll remain for the weekend."

"That's why Aunt Susan was shuffling the rooms around." Katie slid her hands into the back pockets of her white, denim capris. "You were making room for Nicole and Jake to spend the night."

"Yes." Sharon smiled. "Erin and Charlotte are giving up the downstairs double, they're going to spend the rest of the weekend over at Uncle David's. Anna is going to trade with Ricky, and he'll camp out in the upstairs double with Tony, if he chooses to stay. We thought maybe, putting him in a room, would make him more comfortable. Steven is going to slide over here," she told Ricky. "So you won't be the only guy in the family room. The last time we left one of the boys alone with those three, they were doing facials and he was the guinea pig."

"Yeah." Katie grinned at the memory. "Tommy's complexion was never so great as it was that weekend."

Rusty gave her a wary look. "That's kind of evil."

"Just a little," she held up two fingers, centimeters apart. "So… you got them both to come. How did you manage that?"

"I spoke to Nicole, she called her brother. How she managed that, I have no idea." Sharon shrugged. "But yes, I got them both to come."

"Smooth." Rusty nodded. "That was pretty smooth."

"We're not worthy," Katie observed. "We have much to learn, my little friend."

"So I'm seeing." Rusty stepped forward and grinned. The boys were running toward them. He caught Connor when he leapt at him, and swung him around, twisting him so that he hung like a football from the crook of his left arm. "Dude!"

"Hey buddy." Sharon knelt and caught Devon. She swept the little one up and into a hug. "Did you have a nice drive? Were you good for your dad and Momma-Nicole?"

"I was super good," he said with a nod. "Connor was sort of good."

"Nuh uh!" Connor was giggling where he hung, upside down. "I was way better!"

"Sounds like maybe you were both good," Sharon decided with a smile. "You remember my daughter Katie?"

"The ballerina!" Devon reached for her immediately.

"Hey!" Katie laughed as she took him and started twirling until he was giggling madly. "How is dance class? Are you still going? Did you learn anything super cool?"

"Yeah." Devon wiggled to get down and went into one of the beginning positional moves that was taught in the early ballet classes.

"Oh my god!" Katie clapped. "It's the best I've ever seen. Want to know what I learned the other day?" Now that she had both boys attention, Katie kicked off her flip-flops and moved into the sand. She did a simple Sissonne, twirled on one foot, and moved into a pirouette. It was very simple, but to the boys it would have looked incredibly advanced. "What do you guys think? Am I getting it, or should I keep working?" Her hands moved to her hips when she was finished, and she tilted her head, waiting for their answers.

"So.. looks like she really is a dancer?" Tony had heard that rumor, but his mom thought it was all so much bluster.

"A dancer?" Nicole laughed. "Tony, that's Katherine Cavanagh. She just wrapped a six week run of Beauty and the Beast." She smirked at her brother, who was not informed. "Remember, we saw her dance a few years ago, when the ABT toured. She did that gypsy solo that you thought was just… so great."

"Yeah, thanks sis. I remember." Tony rolled his eyes at her.

"Glad to help." Nicole smiled brightly.

"Well." Katie blushed. "That's awkward." She walked forward and held out a hand. "I'm Katie, and don't mind her. I torture my brothers too, often and in lots of different and humiliating ways. Speaking of, this is Rusty, he's the baby. Mom went to the pound to get a puppy and found him instead, but we think he's kind of cute." She reached out to ruffle his hair.

"Says the alien satan spawn," Rusty fired back with a far too innocent smile. "They keep explaining that I'm adopted," he said. "But honestly, if anyone here was adopted," he pointed at Katie.

"Aww! Rusty!" Katie threw her arms around him. "Spoken like a real brother. I'm so proud of you!"

"Oh god! Get off!" Rusty started trying to get away from her. "Sharon. Your alien spawn is trying to suck my brains out!"

"Kids!" She rolled her eyes at them, but couldn't stop the laugh. "Both of you behave, at least pretend that you're adults."

"Aww! Maa!" They pointed at each other. "But s/he started it!"

She groaned and rolled her eyes at them. "Not amused. What you can do is help Nicole and Jake in with their bags. Go on." She waved them toward the bags that Andy and Jake were carrying. "Make yourselves useful."

"So much for being a famous ballet star," Katie muttered under her breath.

"Not at home you're not." Andy winked at her as she took one of the bags off his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, they're usually a little more… well behaved." Sharon smiled when Tony approached with his sister. "Hi, I'm Sharon."

"It's nice to finally meet you." Tony took her hand when it was offered. "I've been hearing a lot of good things about you."

"Likewise. I'm glad that you were able to join us. I'm sorry that it was so last minute. It's entirely my fault, I should have thought of this weeks ago."

"It's okay," Nicole stepped forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Hey, Sharon. We were glad you called. I can't wait to meet the others. We've been wanting to get away from the city, and really, this was perfect."

"Good." She took one each of the boys' hands, and took charge of Connor and Devon as they walked back toward the house. "Let's get you all settled in, and then we'll see about introductions. We're pretty informal around here, so it may take all night. We're actually two houses, the other one across the way," she nodded back to the other side of where all the cars were parked, "belongs to my brother and his wife. So you can expect to have people coming and going for the rest of the evening and well into the night. My niece Christine is here, and her two girls are the boys' age. They'll be well occupied, I'm sure…"

Andy and Rusty shared a look and rolled their eyes, completely amused, at the way Sharon took charge of getting their new comers settled in and introduced. "Your squad totally never stood a chance," Rusty muttered to him.

"Not even a small one," Andy agreed. "Good thing she's in charge and not.. you know, gunning for us anymore. I think we were always kind of toast."

They looked at each other again and laughed. Sharon was, well, Sharon. They had to love her. The woman took no prisoners.

In a matter of minutes, Sharon had Andy's children introduced to her parents, her siblings and their spouses, and anyone else they encountered between the door and the rooms that they would be occupying while they visited. Ricky was introduced to Tony, and then as the elder of Sharon's children, he took charge of making sure that Nicole, Jake, and Tony were comfortable and acquainted with his cousins.

Andy curled a hand around his fiancee's arm and drew her into an empty room. Her father's study, as it turned out. "You amaze me every day," he told her.

"Oh Andy, this was nothing extraordinary." She clasped his face in her hands and leaned up, kissing him quickly. "You love your kids. I love you. That's it. I _really _should have thought of this before today, and if you want to know the truth… it was my sisters. I don't know that I would have ever dared if they hadn't ganged up on me today."

"Maybe," He said. "But you called Nicole, and whatever you said to her, it got her here and… somehow, she got Tony here. That's what makes you amazing. They drove all this way, to spend a weekend with a bunch of people they don't know, because _you _made a phone call." He gestured with his hands as he spoke. "I just don't know how you always manage to… I don't even know what I'm trying to say. My head is still spinning. You are—"

"I'm just a woman," she said gently. "Who happens to really love a guy, who just really deserves the opportunity to be the really good dad that I know he is." Her voice was thick with emotion. "So go, reconnect with your son, spend time with your daughter. Let your grandkids climb all over you. I'll be around."

Andy bent his head, his lips were soft against the corner of her mouth, and the curve of her cheek. "You are the best thing that has happened to me, since my kids. I know that sometimes I'm going to be a real ass, but never forget that."

"Hmm." Moisture filled her eyes, but was quickly blinked away. "That goes both ways. I know I'm not easy, Andy, but you keep trying and…"

He stopped her words with a kiss. It lingered between them. "Loving you isn't hard, Sharon. I think I was made for that." He kissed her again, just a light brush of his lips against her forehead, and then he was sliding around her to find his kids.

"Oh." Sharon exhaled sharply and leaned back against the door he had just slipped through. The man could leave her breathless with just a few, well placed, well meaning words. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes. Sharon remained where she was for a few minutes, until she had her emotions back in check, or at the very least not simmering at the surface. She breathed out slowly and swept her fingers beneath her eyes, smoothing away any signs of moisture. Then she pulled the door open and made her way down the hall to the kitchen.

It was easier than Tony thought it would be, to sit and talk with his father about the things currently going on in both of their lives. He originally believed that it might be awkward, but finding himself surrounded by people who weren't judging their interactions helped Tony Flynn to relax considerably. He found some relief in being able to look up and not find his mother frowning in dislike or mistrust. There weren't any wary looks, or the argument which usually erupted when his family was together with his father. Nicole told him earlier that their parents had their history, they made their mistakes, and would probably never be on good or even completely civil terms. What they had to learn how to do was to not be swept up in it.

The theory might sound pretty simple, but Tony wasn't sure just how simple it would be in practice. There was a lot of history there, and a lot of water not quite under the bridge.

Tony had a few uneasy moments throughout the evening, the most profound happened at dinner. Seated next to his brother-in-law, and across from his dad and Sharon, Tony had tensed involuntarily when one of the guys his age had come around with drinks. Tony's stomach had tightened, waiting for the disappointment to come when he realized his mother was right. Instead, when the wine glass was placed in his father's hand, he held his breath for a moment and watched as Andy turned and passed it into Sharon's hand beside him. He had bent, kissing her cheek, while her conversation with Nicole, who was beside her, had never missed a beat. His sister hadn't even blinked, as though she was accustomed to this. Then a kid had walked by, the one they called Rusty, and he'd dropped a soda into Andy's hand and kept going.

All around them there were people pouring drinks, or popping the tops off of beers. There was soda and iced tea as well, but some of the girls had margaritas, and a couple of bottles of wine had been opened. It seemed casual enough, and Tony was not opposed to drinking, he was known to have a glass of wine or beer if the occasion called for it. It just appeared odd, based on everything he was used to hearing about his dad, that he could sit in the middle of all of it, without batting a single eye, and carrying on a conversation with Jake, Ricky, and one of Sharon's brothers. He didn't feel, by any means, that he was surrounded by a family of alcoholics, it simply struck him as odd that given everything he knew or had been told about his father's history, that _he_ seemed so okay with it.

Tony was left more confused by the moment than truly disturbed, and had filed it away for further thought later. He would discuss it with Nicole as well, since she seemed to flow with the moment as though it was perfectly normal. The rest of dinner had gone well, and he found himself laughing as the conversation at their little corner of the table had transitioned toward some of his father's more _notorious_ work antics.

"It's like some kind of cosmic law," Andy was explaining. "It doesn't matter what happened, or how it happened, but if there is some way that my day can be completely ruined, it's going to happen - and it never fails that I'm always with Provenza. I used to think that maybe, just maybe, there was some kind of target on my back that I couldn't see. Now I've come to realize, it's not me at all! It's him." He shook his head. "It has to be him. I remember, there was this _incident _some years back. His car broke down, right, so out of the goodness of my heart-"

"-See also that he wasn't given a choice in the matter," Rusty chimed in with a grin.

"I'm giving him a ride home. Well he decides that we need to stop and get something to eat. I've got one thought on my mind. Home. Bed. Sleep. I've been on like thirty-six hours or some ungodly thing like that. I don't even care if I make it to the bed, the couch will be fine. Anyway," Andy gestured with one hand while lifting his soda with the other and sipping. "He's got to eat, so we stop at this little dive. The food is... not great, but it's cheap. I swear that I'm so tired by this point, I really can't see straight, but we stop. I decide, don't be an ass about it, just get a cup of coffee or something and be thankful if you make it home without running into a tree or something. While we're there, these idiots get into a fight. Granted, this is the kind of dive that a lot of cops stop in, so there are a couple of uniforms on their dinner break. Well, these bozos in the back get into a fight, and Provenza and I are fine letting the uniforms handle it. Except some idiot decides to pull out his gun…" Andy hung his head, he was trying hard to not laugh. "Next thing I know we're diving bullets, but no one gets shot. And it's really unclear _who_ shot off their weapon, but one of the uniforms is this wet behind the ears punk who has the bright idea to call FID."

"Oh no." Sharon covered her face with her hands. She remembered now where this was going. "_Andy_."

"This one shows up," He hooked a thumb at Sharon, not even pausing when she glared at him. "Takes one look around and decides, it has to be _my_ fault. So much for objectivity and professional standards. I'm there, automatically, I did it." He took a moment to chuckle, and only barely grunted when she poked his side. "She walks over and she just… holds out her hand. Forget the adrenaline, or the coffee, I'm so tired I don't even give a crap anymore. So I'm like… what? They don't pay you down in IA, you're waiting tables now. Well, the service sucks."

"No, he really did," Sharon stated when the others made noises of disbelief. "Oh, it gets… better."

"To which she proceeds to read me the riot act." Andy held both hands up. "I'm like, what did _I_ do? Lady, I was just trying to eat a crappy meatloaf."

"Okay," Sharon interrupted before he could go any further. "In my defense, back then, every time, and I do mean _every_ time I showed up at a scene and you were there… it was _your _fault."

"That is entirely untrue." Flynn met her gaze, his brows lifted in challenge. He paused for effect before stating, quite proudly, "I had absolutely nothing to do with Gabriel's OIS."

Sharon snorted and rolled her eyes at their children. "What Lieutenant Flynn fails to point out…"

"Oh, we're back to Lieutenant." Rusty snickered. "You're in for it now."

Sharon glanced at her adopted son and smiled indulgently. "What the Lieutenant fails to point out is that he managed to get a copy of the FID on-call schedule. And believe me, I changed it." She shot a look at Flynn, eyes narrowed. "_Often_."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he deadpanned.

"Mmhmm." Sharon didn't look convinced. "Due to the fact that he had a copy of the on-call schedule, it never failed that every single one of his fights, shootings, arguments, complaints, and whatnot… all happened on the nights that _I_ was on call. So imagine my immense… irritation, as I am running a bath and getting ready to relax for the evening, that I get a call that there have been shots fired, by LAPD officers, and guess who is present. Flynn."

"And Provenza," he added, reminding her that his partner had been there.

"Exactly, the two stooges," she smiled sweetly at him.

"Right so…" Flynn stopped and looked at her, realizing now what she had said. His eyes narrowed. "We'll talk about that later," he promised, with the corners of his mouth twitching toward a smile. "Any way, Dragon Lady shows up, released from her dungeon to spread fear and misery on the lowly minions of the LAPD…"

"Later indeed," Sharon commented.

"Wanting to know what I am thinking, and if I actually have anything to be thinking _with_," Andy continued, amidst the laughter of the others. "Since, obviously, if I actually had the two cells it would take to create something that could pass for a brain in my oversized head—"

"Immense irritation," Sharon said, by means of defending herself.

"Meanwhile, the bozo who actually did fire off his weapon is just standing there… practically wetting himself, because the Wicked Witch obviously has her broom—"

Sharon groaned and flashed a warning look at him. "_Andy_."

"All the while, my partner is trying to salvage his dinner… is complaining that he is not paying the ticket since it's been ruined. Oh, and could the harridan zip it for two seconds because the mere sound of her voice is giving him a headache." Andy wet his lips and paused to take a drink of his soda. He glanced around the group, and found there were tears rolling down Ricky's face, he was laughing that hard. Tony's jaw was hanging open, and as he didn't _know_ Sharon, that was expected. Katie and Rusty were leaning against each other, laughing as they each imagined how the scene must have gone, more so for Rusty who actually knew Provenza.

"Oh dad…" Nicole was giggling quietly and shaking her head at him.

"At that point I just couldn't help myself." Andy hung his head, then flashed a sheepish look at his fiancee. "I said - quite loudly enough for every LAPD officer now occupying our crappy little food oasis - that it was sweet how she had such a thing for me, but I just wasn't in to dating crypt keepers."

"Dad!" His daughter's jaw dropped. She stared at him, wide-eyed. "You did _not_!"

"Oh. I did." Andy looked skyward and smiled. "Quite enjoyed it at the time."

"Hmm…" Sharon rested her chin in her hand and gave him a serene smile. "How is that working out for you, by the way?"

"Well, after those three _wonderful_ weeks in sexual harassment and anger management classes, it didn't turn out quite so bad." He flashed his trademark crooked grin at her.

Sharon rolled her eyes at him and allowed him to pull her toward him for a quick kiss. "Naturally you didn't mention that you were in my office a month later, black eye and bloody nose because you got into it with a detective from Narcotics."

"It was a long three weeks of classes," Andy said. "I missed you." He leaned forward to kiss her again, and this time she cupped his cheek and leaned into him.

"Rule viol—oh I give up," Rusty threw his hands up.

"Wait," Tony was still wrapping his head around the story. He had laughed, with the others, but it all just astonished him. "So, Sharon was Internal Affairs, and a lot of her time was spent busting you?"

"Yep." Andy grinned.

"And now you're marrying her?" Tony gave his dad a peculiar look.

"Had to wear her down, Son. It took a long time." He waggled his brows.

"I think the point he is trying to make," Sharon explained for Andy, "is that he finally reached puberty and grew up. At which point, he stopped being a pain in my backside and started bothering other divisions. Seriously, what you don't understand is that most officers have an IA jacket that is like… at most, an inch think. The _really_ fun ones, might have two or three inches. On your dad, I had boxes." Sharon flashed a look at Andy. "_Boxes_ of complaints, incidents, accusations, all of which had to be followed up on. Investigated, and those reports written and filed - in the jacket. Unfortunately, when you work in Homicide, you're not going to make many friends with the suspects and their families. If they think, for even a second, that a complaint or accusation against the investigating or arresting officer is going to slow the process or get their case thrown out, they're going to try it. But each time, it has to be carefully investigated and documented. So aside from the obvious anger management issues, which he did finally grow out of…" Sharon paused. "Last year. Andy is actually very good at his job."

"And I was exonerated on each one of the bogus charges," Andy supplied.

"Hm." Sharon smiled at him. "Yes, you were. But I'm just the crypt keeper, so what would I know…"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Andy shook his finger at her. "Not any more. You got paroled. Time off for good behavior. We've welcomed you back to the light side, and you are once again, one of the righteous."

"You are so full of crap," Sharon said fondly.

"But you love me anyway." He winked at her.

"We'll talk about it later." Her eyes were sparkling, even when he kissed her temple again.


	6. Chapter 6

Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness

By Kadi

Rated T

* * *

After dinner, Andy strolled down by the water. The coast line was laid out in such a way that they could gaze across the water and see the faintly glowing lights at the point of Shoreline Park. With his hands tucked into the pockets of his cargo shorts, he let his gaze wander across the water, and then back, and down the shoreline. Behind him he could feel the heat, and smell the smoke of the small bonfire the kids had built. A cooler had been brought down, and one of the boys had pulled out an old guitar. The music was only barely audible above the sound of the waves, and it was still early days yet for summer, as the water rolling in around his feet and ankles still had a light chill to it.

Beside Andy, Tony walked quietly. His dad had wanted to go for a walk, and Sharon had begged off, claiming fatigue after a full day of shopping. From the look on his dad's face, he had a feeling they were being set up, as she had asked him if he wouldn't mind keeping Andy company. Tony glanced back toward the house, and spied his sister's familiar blonde head, seated in a lounge chair near the fire pit. In the chair beside her was Sharon, and from the animated conversation that was going on, she didn't look the least bit fatigued to him.

"We were set up." Tony finally voiced, with a light shake of his head.

"Yep." A small smile tugged at Andy's lips. "She's good at that. Sharon has made a career at getting people to do, precisely, what she wants them to do."

"You've known her a long time?" Tony slanted a look at his father. "It sounded like, earlier, that you went back pretty far."

Andy's thumb rubbed across his forehead, "Some, yeah. Hell, about…" His lips pursed and he tried to put a number on it. "I didn't know her when she was Vice, but I think I had my first run in with her when she was still a Sergeant. Or she might have already made Lieutenant. It was before she was in charge down in the rat hole. I guess, what I should say is, Sharon made a career of busting my ass." He grinned when he said it, leaving no doubt that those memories were mostly fond ones now.

Tony nodded slowly. He curled his toes into the wet sand beneath his feet while they walked. He missed this, the beach and the water. Fresno was so far removed from it that he didn't get back as often as he would like. Now that he was out of school, he wondered if it was time to move closer to home, maybe somewhere along the coast, or at least closer to it. The idea of moving home wasn't a new one, he had been considering it since graduation, so at least a few years. Thoughts of home, mingled with thoughts of the past, inevitably brought him back to the reason for the almost awkward silence between the two men. "Did she know you, you know, when you were…"

"Drunk?" Andy nodded, and his smile faltered a bit. Those were painful memories. It was a period of his life that he wasn't proud of, but he couldn't change it. They strolled away from the house, going the opposite direction of the old wharf, and following the lights of the shoreline. "Yeah, Sharon had to deal with my drinking more than once. She knows about it, all of it. I'm not proud of it, but I don't hide that part of my life, Son. Even if I had tried, she would have known. She always knows, but aside from that, she was married to a drunk. Her ex-husband and I ran in some of the same… I guess you could say, irresponsible social circles for a while. Sharon didn't really get involved until my drinking started messing with my job." There was a familiar ache when he thought about it, and just how close he had come, so many times, to being a statistic. "I was at that point where I didn't really think I had anything else to lose. Your mom and I were done, she wasn't letting me see you kids, and I can't say that I blame her really. I wasn't someone you should be around then. I thought, that's it, there's nothing left. Then I realized how close I was to losing my badge, and it sank in. I needed to make a change. So that's when I started trying. It took a few years, and it was hard as hell, but it eventually took."

Tony frowned as he listened. He spoke so frankly of it, and it wasn't as if the story couldn't be corroborated. Maybe he just had so many years of his mother saying the opposite, and a few too many memories of his dad, stumbling and drunk, fighting with his mother. He could still hear their raised voices, and while it had never been physical, he knew his dad to not be a nice drunk - and the man himself would be the first to admit that he was a lousy one. "Mom thinks you're just using her."

Andy scowled. He was familiar with Amanda's thoughts on the matter of his relationship with Sharon. She had voiced them more than once, and loudly. His jaw clenched, but he stamped down the familiar anger, the bitterness that Amanda's hatefulness normally provoked. Instead, Andy sighed. "What do you think?"

The question surprised him, and Tony glanced at his father before allowing himself to think through it. What did he think, really? That's what it boiled down to. It didn't matter what his mother said, or what Nicole told him. Tony slipped his hands into his pockets and cast a sideways glance at his father. "I think," Tony said at length, "that you could try, but she'd have your number in a heartbeat and you'd be done for."

His laughter rang out. Andy nodded. "Exactly. She's armed and she knows how to use it. Not that I would ever be tempted, but that's not a lady I'd mess with if I were looking for an easy mark." Andy walked turned and walked up the beach, away from the water, to drop into the sand. "Tony, I can't tell you what to think. I can't tell you what to believe. You're a grown man now. I won't pretend that I haven't made mistakes, a hell of a lot of them. I can say that I'm sorry until I am blue in the face, but it doesn't change a one of 'em. I do love you, and your sister, and I'm here. I am sorry, for a lot of things. Mostly, that your mother can't let go of the past, and that you and your sister are caught in the middle of it. I wish that I could change it, but it just isn't possible."

Tony walked over and took a seat in the sand nearby, close, but with enough distance that he could easily watch the man beside him. With his knees bent, he leaned forward and let his arms drape over them. He looked from his father to the water, and watched the waves roll in. It wasn't an easy thing to hear, and at the same time, it might have been what he needed to hear. Or maybe it was just that he was finally _ready_ to hear it. His eyes narrowed, squinting against the sting behind them. There was an ache in the back of his throat, and he swallowed hard past it. "I know dad," he said finally, voice a little thicker, a little rougher than normal. He looked at Andy again and managed a small smile. "I know." He gave a light shrug. "You know, maybe it's time I started coming around more. It might be easier for me to see for myself, how things have changed and all."

"It's not a bad idea," Andy said, and while he felt his own heart flutter at the thought, he chose to remain outwardly reserved. "It's a good start anyway." He couldn't press Tony any farther than he was willing to go, and maybe it was time that he showed a little patience. "We'd like to have you," he added with a small smile. "I'm sure I speak for your mother too, we'd like to have you around more."

His son nodded slowly, but there was a crooked grin spreading across his face. "Why do I think that when you say _we_, you're not talking about mom or Nicole."

Andy grinned outright, he couldn't suppress it. He chuckled quietly. "Probably because you'd be right. Hell of a thing." He slanted a look at his son. "I'm a packaged deal now."

"All those years as a happy bachelor," Tony reached over and nudged his shoulder. "You're really going to give all that up?"

"God yes." Andy stretched his legs out. "I don't think I'll be able to actually stop sweating it until I can get her down the aisle, so to speak. There was a time when I didn't think I'd ever marry again. I thought that was it. Blew it."

Tony had always wondered about that. He'd always wondered, and he knew that Nicole had too, whether or not it had something to do with their dad pining for their mom. He guessed they were wrong. "What changed your mind?"

The answer sounded far simpler than it would ever truly be. "I can't live without her."

There was such earnest emotion in his gaze, such a deep seated need, that went far beyond desire. Tony looked away after a moment and nodded slowly. "Man." His lips pursed. "Dad… you're getting sappy in your old age."

The two men looked at each other and laughed. "Probably." Andy stood up, and if his bones creaked a little more than they used to, he decided to ignore it. "Just don't tell anyone. I've got a rep, you know."

"Yeah, sure, you-betcha." Tony smirked as he stood up. He fell in-step with Andy, and they started back toward the house. "So, Nicole says you're headed back to LA on Monday?"

"That's the plan," Andy confirmed. "We have to be back at the station Tuesday morning." He didn't mention that it could change, that they could be called in before then, he didn't want to jinx it. It all hinged on whether or not the squad caught a case before then. So far, they had been lucky.

"I need to head back tomorrow evening, I'm working Monday night. Maybe I could fly down in a couple of weeks, we can catch a game," Tony glanced at him. "You know, before the fourth."

"Yeah," Andy grinned. "We can do that. I'll check the on-call rotation when I get back. I can shoot you some dates, and then check with the boss."

Tony chuckled. "Then we'll see what we can do." As a paramedic he understood how a shift could change without a moment's notice. He was understanding a lot of things better now that he was on this side of adulthood.

When they came back into view of the backyard a few minutes later, Andy glanced around, looking for Sharon. It was an automatic response, and not seeing her, he looked for Rusty. "Hey, Kid?"

"Inside." Rusty hardly even looked up from the card game he was involved in with several others of the cousins. "She went in to chill. Thought you'd be gone longer. Rule number 4 is still in effect, so if you go inside, we don't want to hear it."

"Funny." Andy tousled his hair as he walked by. "Real wise guy aren't you. But I'd get rid of those sixes if I were you and concentrate on the deuces."

"Seriously!" Rusty shot a look at him. "Dude!"

"Dude," Andy replied, "it goes both ways. Deal with it."

Rusty dropped his cards, folding. "She was going in to read," he said, using more tact this time.

"Thank you." Andy glanced around again, and most of the _adults_ had given it up. It was just the _kids_ hanging out on the beach now, and he noticed that Michael and Ricky had drawn Tony into their conversation. Nicole had her head together with Katie, and that looked just a little bit worrisome. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what the girls were up to. The pair of them were thick as thieves. He could only hope it had something to do with dance classes and tights.

Since the kids were well occupied, and he didn't want to push the positive note of the evening too far, he retreated into the house as well. Andy made his way up stairs and to the room they were occupying. He found Sharon where he expected her to be. She was reclining on the bed, two pillows piled behind her back with a novel in her hands. She had changed, slipping into a long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of pajama shorts. Andy leaned against the door frame and watched her, a smile tugging at his lips.

Her knees were bent, with the book resting against them, and while he watched she reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear with one hand, while turning a page with another. When Andy made no further move to step into the room, she looked up at him over the tops of her glasses, with a single brow arching. "Yes," she drew the word out, but there was a smile playing at her mouth.

"Nothing." Andy stepped into the room and pushed the door closed behind him. Sharon's was one of the original bedrooms, and had a small bathroom attached. It was little more than a toilet, tub, and vanity, but it was private. He made quick work of getting ready for bed, changing into a pair of pajama pants and a plain, white t-shirt. When he stepped back into the room, he found Sharon still reading.

When he sat down on the edge of the bed, she marked her place and closed the book. She stretched her legs out and crossed them at the ankles before tilting her head and giving him her attention. "I didn't expect you to be back this soon."

There was a note of worry in her voice that he knew she was trying to conceal behind casual curiosity. It made him smile. He had seen her do that a number of times, at work, with Rusty, her other children, even his. Andy leaned over, then curled an arm across her lap and lay with his head pillowed against her stomach. "We just went down past the bend and back," he said easily. "Oh, I need my boss to give me some time off in a couple of weeks. Tony is going to try and fly down for the weekend. We may do a game or something."

"I guess you'll have to ask nicely when you get back on Tuesday." Sharon grinned. He sounded almost giddy, but he'd never admit it. Her hand moved into his hair, and her fingers began combing through the salt and pepper strands. "Better take breakfast, I hear that Tao really likes croissants and cappuccino first thing."

"Yeah, I think I might have heard something about that." His hand slid up to her hip and he stretched his legs out on the bed. "He's particular like that."

"Hmm." She hummed and wriggled beneath him, sliding further down in the bed. Sharon leaned her head back, content to lay with him.

"Our daughters had their heads together when I came inside," Andy rumbled softly. Her nails were gentle against his scalp, and he closed his eyes. Maybe they were just old, but they could hear the music and laughter from downstairs, and it wasn't obnoxiously loud by any means, but the children were having a good time. This, on the other hand, was Andy's idea of - if not perfection, then damned near. His hand stroked along her hip, and thigh, and back up again.

"That never ends well," Sharon chuckled quietly. "I trust Nicole to keep a handle on it, however, and curb any of Katherine's more exuberant ideas. She tends to be the more calming influence of the two."

Andy lifted his head at that and gave her an amused, but skeptical look. "You're trusting a Flynn to have a calming influence?" His dark eyes were sparkling up at her. "You are tired aren't you?"

"Oh stop." Sharon tapped his nose and ran her hand through his hair again. "Of course I am. I happen to trust and like most things Flynn."

"Most?" He dropped a kiss to her t-shirt covered stomach. "Is that all?"

"Well…" She arched a brow at him, while a smile tugged at her lips. "I wouldn't leave your ex-wife alone in a room with me, if I were you."

"Too bad." He waggled his brows at her.

Sharon snorted at him and laid her head back again. She sighed when he pushed her t-shirt up and began trailing light kisses, causing her stomach muscles to clench and dance beneath the gentle onslaught. She hummed quietly, and let her eyes close. "Tony was okay?" The prompt was gentle, indicating that he could discuss it if he wanted. Even now, after so many months together, he tried to keep that side of his life as much to himself as possible. She was still his buffer, volunteering even when he didn't seem to want to ask, and she knew that he often felt as though he were burdening her with all of the drama that came with his ex-wife and past.

"He was good." Andy smiled and looked up at her. He knew that Sharon was nudging. She wouldn't pry, and she wouldn't push. She was definitely a nudger, however, at least where their personal lives were concerned. If this was work he would be getting _the look _and she wouldn't bother with nudging. "I don't know what Nicole said to him, and he didn't bring it up, but he wants to be around more. He wants to see how things are now, for himself, rather than relying on certain second hand accounts."

"Good for him." A pleased smile spread across her face. "He's like his father, he just needs to brood it out a little bit, but eventually makes the right decision."

"Yeah." He lay his head against her again. "We'll see." He didn't want to get his hopes up, thinking that they had turned that corner, but he couldn't help but think that they had. Andy lay there another minute before he reached for her book and leaned back. He lifted the pillows on his side of the bed against the headboard and leaned back against them. He took his reading glasses off the bedside table and slipped them on before opening it. "Where were you?"

Sharon took her glasses off and laid them on the table beside them. Then she rolled and moved into the crook of his arm to lay against his chest. "Top of the page," she indicated, and got comfortable against him. She curled one of her legs around his and sighed quietly when he began to read to her. A smile curved her lips.

She lay there, lightly dozing, and listening more to the sound of his voice than the words he was reading. After three pages, she was completely lost, and couldn't have said what he was reading at all. While her body relaxed, her mind began to wander. It was moments like these that she longed for the most when they were apart, or stuck in the office. She was just as content, just as happy to sit quietly with him, either reading together as they were now or separately, as she was during their more passionate encounters.

Beneath her ear, the sound of his breathing, his heartbeat, was steady. Sharon looked up at him, and the movement caught his attention. He glanced down at her, smiled, and barely missed a beat while turning the page as he brushed a kiss across the top of her head. She hummed quietly and rubbed her cheek against his shirt. She thought about all the long years of quiet nights, like this one, she had spent alone. Odd to think that, as comfortable as she thought she was then, she hadn't realized just how lonely she really was. Now it seemed so far removed from the life she currently led, even after only a handful of months. It was hard to imagine going back to that when this was exactly how she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

When her mind wandered toward the solution for that, her drowsy state immediately dissipated. Sharon leaned up and kissed him quickly before she slid off the bed. "I have an idea." Once off the bed, she turned and let her gaze sweep the room until she spotted what she was looking for. "Get your pants back on and come downstairs."

Andy's brows lifted. He watched her with a mixture of confusion and amusement. "Scares me when you do that," he quipped.

She laughed. "You're not alone in that." Sharon opened her computer bag and rifled through the side pocket until she spied her prize. "Hurry up." She took it and hurried out of the room.

With a shake of his head, Andy closed the book and moved from the bed at a more leisurely pace. He had no idea what she was up to, but when Sharon was in a mood like this, it was always wise to just go with it. Andy chuckled quietly while he exchanged his pajama pants for a pair of jeans. He didn't bother with shoes, since Sharon hadn't bothered changing before leaving the room. He jogged slowly down the stairs and followed the sound of her voice, eventually locating her in her father's study. "Sharon?"

"Oh good. Stay here." She left the room, striding quickly, and still barefoot and in her shorts, toward the back of the house.

"You going to tell me what's going on?" He called after her.

"Yep." It was all she said, but her soft laughter filtered back to him.

"I think I've been a bad influence." Andy shook his head and glanced toward the desk, Sharon's father was sitting there, rubbing his forehead.

"Best to just let her at it," Patrick told him, looking faintly amused himself.

"Yes." Andy took a seat opposite the desk. "So I've learned."

Patrick shook his head. "Just like her mother."

When Sharon returned a few minutes later, she and their five kids in tow. Each looking either amused or puzzled. Rusty took one look at Flynn and then slanted a look at Sharon. "Is she okay?"

"I'm starting to wonder." Andy stood up. "Sharon? What's going on?"

She held up a hand and glanced at her father. "Okay?"

"What are you asking me for?" Patrick smirked at her. "This is all your wild idea, not mine. If you're asking about technicalities, then yes, this will more than suffice."

Andy's thumb rubbed across his forehead. "_Sharon_." It was a tone he usually saved for his partner. "What are you doing?"

She turned on her heel to smile brightly at him. "Getting married."

While Sharon and Andy were staring at one another, the latter in state of complete astonishment, Rusty elbowed Ricky. "She's gone native. It's a Flynn and Provenza sized scheme."

For their part, the girls looked at each other. "Did you tell her?" They both asked as one. Then blinked, and turned. "Rusty!"

"What?" The boy cast a wide-eyed look at them. "How is this my doing? I have not been anywhere near Sharon since dinner. I couldn't have told her that the two of you were plotting her wedding behind her back. I was too busy beating your cousins at poker."

"Rusty." That drew Sharon's attention. She cast a look at him. "You know how I feel about you gambling."

"We weren't playing for actual money," he told her with a shrug. She folded her arms over her chest and he rolled his eyes. "I was only being sociable." Her look made him sigh. "Sorry. But can we get back to the more important issue. Married?"

"Is he actually still breathing?" Ricky and Tony exchanged a look.

"I'm not entirely sure. I don't think I've quite seen my dad that quiet before." Tony's head inclined. "Maybe someone should shake him."

Katie leaned forward and poked him, hard, in the shoulder. Andy winced. "Hey."

"Shake," Tony said. "Not poke."

"Oh." She shrugged. "I get confused, it's all the twirling." She folded her arms over her chest and grinned crookedly.

"Um." Rusty gave him a nudge forward. "I think you're supposed to do something. Sharon, I think you broke him."

"He could have a point," Nicole stated with a smirk. She pressed her fingers against her mouth and tried, very hard, not to laugh.

"Oh would you five just hush!" She snapped her fingers at them, twice, and let her hands fall to her hips. "Andy!"

"How many glasses of wine did you have?" He arched a brow at her. "You want to do this now? Here?" Andy waved a hand at her. "In your pajamas."

She returned his look. "If you have a better idea, I'm listening." Sharon's brows rose. "Andy, can you think of a better time? Ricky and Tony are both leaving tomorrow for San Francisco and Fresno, respectively. Katie is only with us for a couple of weeks, and who knows when we'll have the five of them together again. We're going to have a busy summer, Rusty needs to get everything settled for college, and our work schedule changes at the drop of a hat. We both had weddings with our first spouses. I had the dress, and the flowers, and the priest, and you know… that didn't turn out so well in the end. This, our kids, you and me, that's it. That's all I need. That's everything."

Andy didn't realize that the ache in his chest was actually fear. He worried that this was a knee-jerk reaction on her part, and she would regret it later. Seeing her now, and the earnest emotion in her eyes, he exhaled slowly and took a step forward. He drew her too him and cupped her head in his large hands. His fingers slipped into her hair and he bent to let his lips brush hers in a light kiss. "Sure?"

"Absolutely." She smiled up at him. "Unless you'd rather wait."

"God no." He kissed her again. "You might come to your senses."

"Hmm." She chuckled quietly. "You know, I think maybe I already did."

"If everyone has made up their minds?" Patrick stood up and walked around his large, oak desk.

"Is this even legal?" Rusty looked at the others. "I thought he was retired?"

"He was still a Federal appellate judge," Sharon explained, not looking away from Andy. "Certain privileges don't expire. This is one of them."

"I think we're good," Andy said. But he looked away long enough to glance at the kids. "Unless one of you has an objection? It's now or keep a lid on it."

The five of them looked at each other, silent for a moment. "You know," it was Nicole that spoke up for the group. "I think we're okay with it." She looked at her brother and he nodded.

"Ricky, Katie, Rusty?" Sharon looked at each of her children in turn.

Rusty shrugged. "You know, if I can be there when Lieutenant Provenza finds out about this, I'm actually more than okay with it." But he grinned. "Seriously? I live with you two. This might be the most normal thing you've done since I met you."

"Mom." Ricky gave her a crooked grin. "Nicole's right. We're all good with it. But speaking for us," he gestured at his sister. "We just want you to be happy. You deserve that."

Her smile softened considerably. "Thank you, baby." Her gaze shifted back to Andy, then to her father. "I think we're good."

Patrick studied the pair of them, and the five grown children behind them. "Alright then," he decided. "Richard, step out and get your grandmother, quietly please." He winked at his daughter. "She'll never let either one of us hear the end of it."

Sharon laughed. "No, probably not."

Ricky didn't have to go far to find her, either, and returned only a few moments after leaving. After Miranda made her way toward the front of the room, to stand near him, Patrick slipped his glasses on and opened the book he held in his hands. He realized the moment that Miranda understood what was happening, in the soft happy sigh that came from his right. He cast a quick glance at her and smiled. Yes, it was certainly turning out to be a very interesting weekend. This was not what he envisioned when he called the family together, but he realized his original idea was still quite sound. It was growing everyday.


	7. Chapter 7

Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness

By Kadi

Rated T

* * *

Tuesday arrived far too soon for everyone. By tacit agreement, Katie and Rusty decided to stay in Summerland for a few more days, giving the newly married Andy and Sharon a few days of privacy - even if they were returning to the city for work. The weekend was further cut short when Major Crimes was called back into the office during the wee hours of Tuesday morning. The ID of a victim belonging to a murder that Hollywood Division had picked up during the weekend, had the case changing hands by order of Assistant Chief Taylor. The victim, it was discovered, was the son of a retired LAPD Captain, and former head of the LAPD Narcotics Division, Howard Grey.

After the identification was made, Hollywood Division left it up to Major Crimes to do the notification. Afterward, the retired Captain was brought in to answer questions about his son. Howard Grey was a man in his mid-sixties who was only five years removed from the LAPD. He and his wife spent much of the year traveling, visiting their other children in Seattle and Chicago, or simply seeing the country. They had been home for a few weeks, and were planning on spending the summer in Seattle with their eldest daughter and a new grandson.

"Howard." Sharon crossed the murder room the moment that he appeared, looking haggard and pale. The pair of them had started out in Patrol together, and later, when Howard made the move into Vice, Sharon had been his training partner. That was just a few months prior to her transfer to Internal Affairs. "I'm so sorry about Ian."

Captain Grey's pale blue gaze fell on her, and he nodded grimly. "Sharon, thank you." He sighed softly when she took his hand in both of hers. "I didn't realize FID would be involved in Ian's case, he hasn't been on the force for several months now."

Sharon gave him a small, gentle smile. "I'm with Major Crimes now. I took over when Chief Johnson retired."

"Oh…" He nodded slowly. "I… sorry, I guess I've been out of touch. Judy and I aren't in town much, and when we are…"

"You aren't worrying about Departmental politics." She clasped her hands in front of her. "Completely understandable. Why don't we talk in my office. Lieutenant," her gaze swept the room and landed on Tao. "Will you join us please…" She gestured him toward her office and waited for Mike to take charge of Captain Grey. Once they had stepped into her office, she turned back to the others. "Lieutenant Provenza, I'd like for you to follow up with Doctor Morales. I'm sure Hollywood was thorough," she chose to ignore his snort, "but I want to make sure nothing was left out of that report. Detective Sanchez, take Detective Sykes, see if you can locate the roommate, and…" She turned, gaze falling on Andy. "Financials?"

"I should have them within the hour," he glanced up, only briefly before his attention returned to his computer. "I'll let you know as soon as they're in." He tapped a couple of keys on his computer and shook his head. "If the network would move at a decent pace, it might actually be today." He huffed a sigh, and twisted the unfamiliar weight of his wedding ring with his thumb.

The case had interrupted whatever plans they might have had for announcing the marriage to the rest of the squad. That no one had spotted the rings, simple gold bands they'd picked out in Santa Barbara on Sunday, only proved just how focused on the case the team was. Ian Grey was former LAPD himself. He had joined the force right out of college, following in his father's footsteps, but quit to go to law school. That made the case doubly important to everyone in the department. It was an attack on not just an officer's kid, but an attack on an officer as well.

"If you'd stop abusing the computer it might work properly," Buzz walked over and nudged the Lieutenant aside. He bent over his computer and brought up several screens, checking connectivity and function. "It's fine, you're just not being patient enough."

"Patient?" Provenza shook his head as he stood up to pull on his suit jacket. "I think someone had a little too much fun this weekend. Buzz meet Flynn, he's not exactly known for patience and being cool, calm, and collected."

"Or perhaps I was being optimistic," Buzz muttered on his way back to his desk. "I thought _someone_ might be a good influence on him."

"Ha! That would be the day." Provenza smirked. "I think the question you're looking for, my young friend, is whether or not _he_ has been a bad influence on you know who."

"Today everyone," Sharon shook her head at them and turned to join the others in her office. Once inside, she walked around to slide into her chair while Tao leaned against the credenza behind her. "Howard." She clasped her hands together against the top of the desk. "I'm afraid you know how this has to go."

"I do." He ran a hand through his thinning, gray hair. "I appreciate that we're doing this in here, and not in one of your interview rooms. I know we didn't always get along so well, Sharon."

"Internal Affairs isn't an easy job, Howard, but I never held it against anyone." They'd had their clashes, just as she had clashed with other department heads during her career with IA. It was the nature of the job. "None of that matters now, all I'm concerned with is finding the person responsible for Ian's death. We're going to talk to his former partner, but can you tell me if there was anyone who might have wanted to hurt him? Did he have any enemies?"

"He was a cop," Howard said brusquely. "Anyone he might have collared was a potential enemy. But he's been off the force for months. It's possible someone got out of jail recently that… might have had a score to settle. I don't know, Sharon. I can't imagine anyone wanting to hurt Ian. He was a good boy…" His hands shook and he folded his fingers together. "He only joined to make me happy. My boy always wanted to be a lawyer, and, it helped him pay some of his student loans. He wanted to go to law school, so when he got in, he quit the force to go to school. That was fine by me, and it made his mother happy."

"Can you tell us anything about his friends," Sharon asked gently. "Other students, maybe friends he still had in the department."

"Sharon, you know how it is." Howard shook his head. "All of us who started out around the same time, a lot of our kids grew up together. They played in the same leagues, went to some of the same schools. Some of his friends were on the force, or others were cops kids."

"I understand, Howard," she leaned forward, smiling gently. "But you know that I have to ask. Could you provide us with a list of his friends, anyone we could speak to, who could help us? Do you know if Ian was seeing anyone recently?"

"I don't know!" Howard's hand landed hard against her desk. "Alright? I just don't know!"

Sharon held up a hand when Tao stood up and moved beside her. She slanted a look at him and gave a light shake of her head.

"We weren't around much." Grey continued. "Judy and me, we've been out of town. Last time I spoke to Ian, he was really too busy to talk. He had exams to study for. Look, you want to help, find who killed my son."

"Alright, Howard." Sharon stood up. She nodded to Tao and moved around the desk. She stopped beside the man and laid a hand on his shoulder. "We're going to do the best that we can. Right now, I'd like for you to give Lieutenant Tao a list of anyone you can think of who might be able to answer our questions about Ian." When he nodded, she gave his shoulder a light pat and let herself out of the office.

Back in the murder room, Provenza, Sanchez and Sykes were gone, following up on the assignments she had given them. She walked over and sank into the chair next to Andy's desk. "Anything?" Sharon leaned forward and put her chin in her hand. Inside her office she could see Tao was speaking quietly with Howard, and the man was already writing on a legal pad.

"Still waiting." Andy leaned back in his seat and followed her gaze. "What a nightmare, for any parent, but hell…"

"I know," she said quietly. "I used to call a few times a day, when Ricky and Katie were little, to check in with the babysitter, just to make sure they were okay. Then later, even when they were old enough to stay home by themselves, I was checking on them all through the day, or the night. It used to drive them both crazy."

"How long have you known the Captain," he nodded toward her office.

"We were in patrol together. Later, we were in Vice. Then I made the move to IA, and some of my friends stopped being my friends." Sharon shrugged. She was long past that, it was just the way that it was. "I remember Ian, though. He's Ricky's age. They played little league together." It was why she had sent Provenza down to Morales. "I remember when he joined the department. He had his first OIS about eighteen months out of the academy. He was questioning then whether or not this was the life for him."

"It's not for everyone." Flynn's lips pursed. "Let's cross reference his case history with recent releases. See if anything pops." He turned back to his computer and began pecking at the keyboard. "We'll start with the last couple of weeks."

Sharon stood up and moved around behind him. She leaned over his shoulder, hand resting against his back to balance herself. "Make it the last month, we'll work back from there."

"You don't ask for much, do you lady," he teased with a small grin.

"Mm, no not really." Sharon glanced down at him, eyes sparkling. "You should talk to my husband, I'm sure he'd have a few things to say about that."

"Nah," Andy pulled up the record on Ian Grey. "Seems like too smart a guy to me. Knows when to keep his mouth shut."

"You could learn a thing or two from him, Lieutenant." She pressed her lips together to suppress the smile.

"Yeah, my wife might…" Andy trailed off, growing serious again, and pointed at the screen. "There." He tapped his finger against the screen. "We can start right there."

"Print it." Sharon walked toward the printer on Provenza's desk, but stopped halfway. "Oh good grief." She turned back and held out a hand, crooking her fingers at him. "Money."

"Really?" Andy shot a look at her. "Already? Not even a week and you're already hitting me up?"

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "Andy. Do I look like I have any pockets right now?" She held her arms out and arched a brow at him. She was wearing the pale blue Donna Karan with the thin black belt. It was form fitting, and completely without pockets.

"I think you're trouble." He pulled out a handful of change and held it out to her. "Pure trouble."

"Truer words," Provenza strode back into the murder room. "I've been saying it for years. No one ever listens to me." He waved a file at her. "Morales' notes. Captain Grey still here?" He didn't want to put the photos up until the father had left.

"Lieutenant Tao is with him in my office," Sharon told him. She took the change out of Andy's hand, but not without narrowing her eyes at him. She turned and strode purposefully to the printer. "They should be wrapping up soon. In the meantime, we may have one possible lead." She dropped several coins into the jar on the desk before scooping up the pages as they printed.

Andy stood and walked over, reading over her shoulder as she paged through them. "We'll see if we can track down this guy, get him in here." He glanced at his partner. "Grey put a punk away a couple of years ago, got him on a robbery charge, but he was a person of interest in a hit and run. They couldn't make the H'and'R stick, so they got him on the other. He just got out."

"In the meantime, I will pull his jacket and see if anything else sticks out," Sharon said. "I'll have Lieutenant Tao follow up on those financials and tracking down the names we're getting from Captain Grey." She held out her hand for the report Provenza had gotten from Morales.

"Let's go." Andy pulled his jacket from the back of his chair and headed toward the door, slipping it on as he went. "We'll call the punk's parole officer and see what he can tell us about this idiot."

Provenza's eyes narrowed as he followed him. "Are you back on the cleanse? You're all peppy." The older Lieutenant made a face. "It's unnatural and, as the kids would say, freaking me out."

"Nah," Andy grinned. "I sat by the beach for three days and did absolutely nothing. Why wouldn't I be _peppy?_" If his partner knew the truth, he'd be more than just _freaked out_. Andy could just imagine his head spinning off into orbit. The longer they waited to break the news, the farther it would go. "Having my kids along for the trip might also have something to do with it. Nicole and Jake brought the boys, and somehow, she and Sharon got Tony to drive down from Fresno."

"No kidding?" Provenza gave him a surprised look. "And all of you made it out of the spider's web alive. Amazing."

Flynn rolled his eyes. "More or less. It was good. You should have heard some of the stories her family told, especially about when she was Rusty's age…"

"No details, please," his partner groaned. "I'm perfectly content to go on believing that her highness was never young, and instead hatched fully grown and as she is now."

"Suit yourself." Andy smirked and stepped into the elevator. He had a feeling Provenza would say that, and this way, he broke no confidences and his partner could never say he didn't offer. It was win-win.

"And get the goofy look off your face," he ordered. "It's bad enough the two of you walk around here acting like a pair of idiots when you're together, I don't need you acting like one when she's not around."

"Whatever you say." Andy just shook his head. It was all so much bluster and act. The truth was she'd gotten under his partner's skin too, although not in the same way, he just wouldn't admit it.

As the day progressed, Sykes and Sanchez located the victim's roommate and brought him in to answer questions. The kid was another law student at UCLA, and had a solid alibi for the night that Ian Grey was killed. He was in a late class, and then at a cafe with a study group. After answering questions about his roommate's habits, friends, or any possible enemies, the roommate was let go.

It took a few hours for the team to track down Alex Moreni, the parolee that Grey was responsible for putting behind bars a few years before. He was finally tracked down to a day labor location, as holding down a job was part of the grounds for his parole. While the team waited for him to be brought in, they followed up on the other information they had gathered.

The facts were slow in unfolding, and it was a case that everyone wanted wrapped quickly. It made for a long day. The team was gathered again as it wore on toward evening, and dinner had been brought in while they discussed what they knew, and waited for the uniforms who had retrieved Moreni to bring him in.

Sharon was seated on the edge of Julio's desk, studying the notes on the white board while Amy updated the information. She was picking at a salad. So far, Moreni was the best lead they had, not that there were very many. "Go over it again."

Nearby, Provenza groaned. They had been over it twice already during the course of the day. He rubbed his forehead and lifted his sandwich again. "I don't think going over it a third time is going to give you any shining moments of clarity." He looked up and found her staring back at him, head inclined. She looked mildly indulgent, but annoyed. "Fine. Julio," he waved a hand at the detective.

"Okay," Julio stood up and walked around to stand near the board. "Ian Grey, thirty-two, last seen on Friday afternoon. After leaving his class, we have receipts found on the body that indicate he had dinner that evening. Doctor Morales puts time of death sometime early Saturday morning. The body was not found until Sunday morning. The victim's roommate has a solid alibi for the time covering death and when the body was dumped. We've spoken to friends, family, and Grey's former partner. All of them say the same thing. He was well liked, a good student, a good cop before he left the force to go to law school. There were no indications of any problems in his life, or that he had any enemies that would want to harm him." Julio shrugged. "That's all we've got, besides that Moreni guy, that uniforms are going to bring in. Grey put him in jail, he got out two weeks ago."

"To which there is a note in his personnel jacket that Moreni filed a complaint against then officer Grey that he was out to get him, planted the evidence. All of which were baseless and the officer was cleared by Internal Affairs," Sharon stated. "I read Sergeant Elliot's notes on that case. He was very thorough."

"He usually is," Andy muttered, slanting a look at her.

Sharon pressed her lips together and flashed an amused look at him. It was Elliot to whom she had handed all of Andy's cases when she simply didn't think she could deal with him anymore, and her hands were full with the rest of Priority Homicide, later Major Crimes. "Don't be bitter, Lieutenant. Elliot was one of my best."

"Oh yeah," Provenza snorted. "He's a regular prince, alright. Just as annoying as his teacher. I think we're going to officially change his name from Scarecrow to Rat King."

Andy laughed as he reached for his ringing phone. "Flynn."

"Flying monkey is already taken." Provenza continued, hooking a thumb at his partner.

"Lieutenant Provenza," Amy inclined her head. She was giving him an earnest look, but there was mischief dancing behind her gaze. "I always saw you as more of the head Munchkin guard than the flying monkey. I think it's far more appropriate."

While his mouth dropped open and his cheeks went ruddy, Sharon turned away and pressed her lips tightly together. Sykes had managed to slip that one in effortlessly. "Alright, let's not get too far off topic," she managed.

"Moreni is on his way up," Flynn stood up and reached for his jacket.

"Detective Sanchez." Sharon stood up and put the salad on the desk. "Join Lieutenant Flynn and I, please. Buzz…"

"Yes ma'am," the technician was already headed toward the electronics room.

Sharon strode toward her office to retrieve her blazer before joining the other detectives. By the time she stepped into the interview room, they had Alex Moreni situated. He looked up when Sharon stepped into the room and leaned back in his chair. "Someone want to tell me what this is all about?"

"Soon enough." Sharon glanced at Julio who moved to stand by the door, hands clasped in front of him. "Alex Moreni, yes?" She had his record in her hand, Tao had passed it to her on the way to the room.

"Yeah." He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at her. "What about it?"

Sharon took a seat with Andy beside her and opened the file. "Mr. Moreni, I'm Captain Sharon Raydor, this is Lieutenant Andy Flynn, and Detective Julio Sanchez. We're members of the LAPD's Major Crimes Unit. We'd like to talk about Friday evening and Saturday morning. Can you tell us where you were?"

"Depends on why you want to know." He folded his arms over his chest. "I did my time. You can't just pull me in here whenever you want."

"Terms of your parole say we can," Andy stated. "It's a simple question. Where were you." He clasped his hands loosely together on the surface of the table. If the creep wanted to be belligerent then he and Julio could accommodate him. He could feel the tension coiling in the younger detective behind him. Julio had grown considerably more protective of their Captain since the attack by Douglas Grand the previous February.

"I was busy." He leaned forward, made a point of leering at the woman. Old, but a looker. Older ladies were easy marks for guys like him. He knew he wasn't bad looking. The older ones got lonely. They had been married too long, worked too hard, and just wanted someone to pay attention to him. A quick glance at her hand told him she might just fit that category. "Maybe I was busy looking for you."

She felt Andy shift beside her. Sharon tilted her head, arched her brow. Beneath the table, she tapped his foot with hers, the only outward movement she made toward him. They had to walk a fine line to be able to continue working together, especially after the weekend's events. Sharon had turned in that change of status earlier in the day to HR and Internal Affairs, and was just waiting for it to cross Taylor's desk. That was going to prove… interesting. "Hm." Her lips pursed. "Unfortunately that wouldn't explain why we have traffic camera footage that places you in West Hollywood. Would you like to try again, Mr. Moreni?"

"Yeah, so…" He shrugged. "A lot of guys were in West Hollywood. Maybe you want to tell me why that's such a big deal? I was lookin' for something to do. What's the big deal anyway?"

"The big deal is a dead cop." Julio stated from the door. "He was found in West Hollywood. Which is where you were. Maybe you want to be more helpful now?"

"Whoa." Moreni threw his hands up, eyes suddenly widening. "Look, I was in West Hollywood, but I have nothing to do with any dead cop. I was going to meet up with an old friend."

"This old friend." Sharon slid a picture toward him. "Do you remember this man?"

Moreni studied the picture, frowning. "Yeah, that's the stupid asshole who put me in jail. What? So he gets popped, and you want to pin it on me? Maybe you should check with anyone else he pissed off."

"We're checking with you." Andy frowned at him. "You're the only one out of jail recently. It's somewhat coincidental, don't you think? You get out of jail and Officer Ian Grey suddenly turns up dead. Coincidental since, he wasn't even an officer anymore. But you wouldn't have known that, would you?"

"Look," Moreni pointed a finger at him. "I didn't kill the asshole. I wanted to, sure, but that was years ago. I did my time. If someone killed him, I had nothing to do with it."

"Did you?" Sharon asked casually. "Serve your time, I mean. I believe at the time of your arrest, Mr. Grey was looking in to a hit and run that you were the prime suspect in. The only evidence he could corroborate was the robbery you committed that night. Otherwise you might still be serving your time."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Moreni's face went blank. The emotion behind his eyes, however, was dark and angry.

"That's interesting." Sharon pretended to page through the file. "You were brought in and questioned about that hit and run by Officer Grey, were you not? He believed that you were responsible for the death of Michelle Lowry, who was struck just a few blocks away from the warehouse that you robbed. You admitted to robbing the warehouse, but Officer Grey was never able to prove you were responsible for Miss Lowry's death." Sharon picked up the picture of Michelle and turned it. She was a pretty thing, only twenty-two at the time of her death. Blonde and blue eyed as so many young, California girls were.

"I never killed anybody." Moreni glared at her. "I don't know what you're talking about lady."

"Captain." Julio stated. "The correct address is Captain." He tilted his head and smiled slightly. She was getting the suspect wound up. His muscles bunched as he prepared to move, subdue the jerk if it was necessary.

"I should really tell you, Mister Moreni," Sharon continued, "there is no statue of limitations on murder. It really seems apparent to me that the case of Michelle Lowry is tied to our current murder case. I'm going to be reopening the hit and run, and I will find out if you were responsible…"

"You can't do that." Moreni leaned back and smirked at her. "I already went to jail on that robbery."

"The robbery." Andy stated. "Not the hit and run. Those are two completely different crimes, pal. Serving time for one, does not stop you from being put away for the other."

"The Lieutenant is correct," Sharon smiled, none too pleasantly. "Even if I find, through the course of the investigation into Ian Grey's murder, that you were not responsible for his death. That will not stop me from finding out the truth about Michelle Lowry. I don't like loose ends."

"She ain't exaggerating," Andy said.

"So, let's try again," Sharon tucked the photo of Michelle Lowry back into the file. "Friday evening, where were you?"

"Look Bitch." Moreni shoved up and leaned over the table. "I didn't kill anyone. Not then, and not now. You can do all the digging you want, but you're not going to find a damned thing! The only loose ends around here are the ones up your—"

"Hey!" Andy had him before Sanchez could get there. He pulled him around and pushed him toward the wall, arm twisted behind his back. He didn't slam him into it as hard as he would have liked, but he pushed him firmly into the hard surface. "You can watch your mouth, scumbag."

"Detective Sanchez, if you could, please see to Mr. Moreni," Sharon stood up slowly, unaffected by the outburst. "Lieutenant Flynn, with me." She gathered up the file, closed it and walked calmly out of the room. She waited until he was in the corridor with her, the door closed behind him before she turned. "Really?"

"What?" He pointed toward the interview room. "That is the least of what the asshole deserved after what he said."

"_Andy_." Her eyes flashed. "You cannot react that way. Especially now. I've been called worse. A lot worse, and I hate to be the one to have to remind you, but there was a time or two when it was coming out of _your_ mouth."

"Sharon," he huffed a sigh. "That was a long time ago, and obviously…"

"I know," she cut him off, and her tone gentled. "I never took it personally. You always have been a hothead." Sharon smiled. "Andy, you've got to be more careful how you respond on my behalf. We cannot give even the slightest impression that our personal life is effecting our work. Otherwise one of us is either going to be transferred or retired. I can't have that, and I don't want to have to start taking someone else into an interview. I need to know that I can still—"

"Okay." Andy took a step forward and loosely clasped one of her hands, cutting her off before she could get too worked up about it. "I get it, alright. I'll be more careful, but damn… you're asking a lot. You know that, don't you? It's going to be hard dealing with dirtbags like that, and not wanting to pop them in their filthy mouths."

"Yes I know," She turned her hand over and gave his fingers a loose squeeze. "But it has to be done. Leave the roughhousing to Julio. I appreciate the sentiment, but it's just the thing that would get us both in a lot of hot water."

"Yeah, yeah," He let go of her hand and ran his through his hair. "You and your damned rules."

"Hey, you married those rules, pal. You're going to have to live with them." She turned to stride back toward the murder room.

"Yeah…" He grinned as he watched her go before following. "Good thing they're attached to a great pair of legs. Makes it almost worth it."

"Andy."

He flashed a crooked grin at the look she shot him. "Yes dear."

"Well, that was productive." Provenza and the others were waiting for them when they got back to the murder room, all except Buzz who was still monitoring Julio and their suspect. "I was particularly interested in the part where you learned nothing. Oh, and where Flynn tried to protect his girlfriend's honor, that was great." He short a dirty look at his partner. "Idiot."

"So I've already been told." He shrugged as he went to his desk. "I would have done it for Sykes too, or any of the ladies. Maybe. Jury is still out on Rios. I would've had to think about that one."

"Be that as it may," Sharon drew them back to the more important matter. "He isn't cooperating, which could be viewed as a violation of his parole. We'll let him stew for a couple of hours, maybe even overnight, and try again. In the meantime, I wasn't bluffing. I want to reopen the Lowry case. If nothing else, we could use that as a bargaining point with Mr. Moreni. Andy, see what you can turn up on it, Amy will help you. Lieutenant Tao, any luck on those financials?"

"I have them here, Captain." He held up a file for her. "There's nothing out of the ordinary."

"Thank you," she accepted it and began flipping through the pages of their victim's financial statements. "Okay, we can place the suspect in West Hollywood on the evening of the murder, but we can't really tie him to the victim at this time. Do we have any other leads?"

"No leads, but a lot of explaining to do." Gavin Baker strode into the murder room, headed right toward her. "You." He pointed at Sharon. "Big trouble."

Her eyes widened. "Oh…" She looked at Andy. "No," she drew out the syllable. They had forgotten Gavin. Or rather, she had. She hadn't even called him yet. He must have spoken to Katie, it was the only explanation she could have for why he was bearing down on her, looking less than pleased. "Gavin. Honey, let's go talk in my office."

Gavin came to a stop and towered over her. "You… I just…" He gestured wildly between them and finally threw his hands up in extreme exasperation.

"_Gavin_." She used her most strenuous tone on him, trying to break through his ire. He really could be such a drama king at times, and this really was the worst time for such an episode. The squad still didn't know, and if anyone suspected, they weren't saying. She shared another look at Andy, who was looking mildly amused, but concerned. It wasn't how either of them would like their friends to hear the news. Although, the longer they waited, the more _interesting_ it was going to become. "My office. We'll talk about however it is that I have managed to—"

"You got married without me? Without _me_. _Married_!" He pointed a finger at her. "You didn't even think that maybe I deserved, oh, I don't know… a phone call? A text message? Maybe you could have sent an email. Nooo… you just up and did it, couldn't even be bothered to tell me that you were _considering_ it, and to top it all off, you did it in shorts!" Gavin's hands cupped his own face. "I don't even know if I can look at you right now. Shorts." He made a low, keening sound. "You didn't even go shopping for an appropriate… all those years. All those episodes of _What Not to Wear_. All of it, right down the drain. Everything I thought that I knew about you and… not even a prenup. You didn't even come to me for a prenup. Just poof! Married."

"Hey." Andy scowled at him. "Gavin, leave her alone, alright. It was spur of the minute. We didn't mean to forget about you. We just don't like to think about lawyers when we're not at work."

"Sh!" Gavin snapped the tips of his fingers together, signaling Flynn to close it. "That makes me feel, no, not better. Hello! I am the best friend. I am supposed to be consulted on all things life changing."

"That's a very interesting point." Provenza was staring at Flynn. Now that it was brought up, sure enough, there was the ring. "Have you lost your damned mind!" He slapped the folder in his hand down on his desk. "It was bad enough that you wanted to date her. Then you had to move in with her. Now you've gone and married her! Flynn! What is wrong with you!" Provenza threw his hands up. "My god man, have all my divorces taught you _nothing_!"

"Well, I for one think that it's great." Amy was smiling brightly. "Congratulations, Captain, Lieutenant. Looks like you both had a very good weekend indeed."

"Yes, congratulations." Tao smiled a little smugly. He had seen the rings earlier, and waited patiently for the announcement to come, or for someone else to question it. It wasn't going to be him.

"Thank you, Amy, Mike." Sharon smiled faintly. "Obviously, this is news that effects the squad, and we would have told you, but this isn't the time to be discussing it. I think we should all continue to focus on the matter at hand. We still have a murder to solve, and our only suspect could be implicated in another crime. So, let's… just continue. Gavin." She walked to her office and pointed him into it. "_Now_."

"Oh, that tone doesn't work on me, missy!" He lifted his chin and walked proudly into the room.

Sharon rolled her eyes at him, but held out the file with the financials. "Andy, will you continue working on this, please. Thank you." She shook her head at him when he glanced toward Gavin and raised his brows, indicating he would join her. She could deal with Gavin, just fine, on her own. Sharon stepped into her office and pulled the door closed behind her. "Gavin, really!" She put her hands on her hips. "Was that necessary?"

"How was I supposed to know you hadn't even told your squad." He made a face at her and folded his arms over his chest. "Although, I suppose it fits. If you didn't tell your _best friend_, I suppose you wouldn't tell the poor, unfortunately souls who work for you either."

"Oh for crying out loud." She leaned back against the edge of her desk, facing him. "Gavin, we got married Saturday night. It was spur of the moment, and I was planning on taking you to lunch, just as soon as we were both available, and telling you. I didn't want to tell you over the phone, or in a text message, as I didn't think it was appropriate. Can I assume you spoke to Katie?"

"You can." He huffed at her. "She had to explain why she was canceling our shopping plans for today. Imagine my immense surprise when it involved staying with your parents so that her newlywed mother could have some privacy with the new husband."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. She folded her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry if your feelings were hurt, Gavin. It wasn't intentionally kept from you, or anyone. The timing just hasn't worked out since we've been back. This case is a difficult one, Captain Howard Grey's son was found murdered early Sunday morning. You remember Howard?"

He had still been in Vice when Gavin was with the City Attorney's office. "That's terrible news." He leaned forward. "You haven't gotten very far on it?"

"Not yet," she said regretfully. "So you can see, I've been a bit preoccupied."

"I see." Gavin sighed. "Well, I suppose that does supersede telling your friends you've had a moment of insanity."

"Oh not you too!" Sharon pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why do both of our closest friends think that we've—"

"Oh no," Gavin stood up and smirked at her. "Not the insanity I was meaning. I'm talking about this." He pulled his phone out and turned it, showing her the photo that her daughter and taken of the event. "Really. I'm ashamed to say I've ever shopped with you."

"Stop." Sharon made a face at him. "It was perfect."

"I suppose it's important that you believe that." Gavin tucked the phone back into the inside of his suit. "I'm going to pretend I know nothing about it. Your ability to elope needs a little work."

"Duly noted." Sharon smiled indulgently. "Anything else?"

"Not at the moment," Gavin decided. "I'll give it some thought and let you know." He stood up and straightened his suit. "Don't worry, I'll send you a list of all the ways you can make this up to me. After I finish spreading the happy news all over town." He flashed an impish look at her and pulled the door open.

"Oh god." Sharon moaned quietly and looked skyward. By noon the following day there wouldn't be anyone, who was anyone, in the legal system of Los Angeles who wouldn't know that she had remarried and to whom. Gavin would make sure of that. "Just be nice about it," she called after him.

"No promises darling!" He waved as he strode away, disappearing just as quickly as he had appeared.

Sharon shook her head. That was hurricane Gavin. She swept her fingers across her forehead and stood up. Now it was time to go and do damage control.


	8. Chapter 8

Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness

By Kadi

Rated T

* * *

It took three days to finally find a real break in the case. In the end, Moreni was not responsible for the death of Ian Grey, but the squad was able to finally connect him to the hit and run death of Michelle Lowry. Moreni was on his way back to jail, and very soon Josh Warsen would be joining him there. The young man who had killed Ian Grey was his former partner, a young cop with two strikes on his jacket, and a third which would have ended his career.

He had come under suspicion, Internal Affairs was investigating his methods of finding and arresting suspects after one of them was injured while in cuffs. He thought that Grey had spoken out, pointed the finger at him, and was the reason for the investigation. He was mistaken, and Ian Grey was dead because of it. The team was rolling out, along with SIS to pick him up and with any luck, find the evidence which would tie their case together at the officer's apartment. They currently had everything except Warsen and the clothes he was wearing the night he killed Grey.

"I'm sorry." Sharon didn't know exactly why she was apologizing, but the words were out of her mouth anyway. She looked beside her at the sullen form of Lieutenant Provenza behind the wheel of the car. "I know that you're angry with both of us. I can only say that I never set out to make your life difficult, Lieutenant."

His hands tightened on the wheel. He risked a glance at her and grunted quietly. There was a part of him that wanted to say he didn't care if she was sorry or not. Instead, he sighed. "I know he doesn't care," Provenza began. "The insanity of it, the fact that you're playing with fire, or that it could completely ruin both of your careers. I know Flynn could give a crap, but at least tell me that _you_ of all people have realized that the both of you have lost your minds."

"Yes," Sharon said softly. "The thought had occurred." She turned her attention back out the window, watching as the city rolled past them. Andy was with Sanchez in the car in front of them, while Tao and Sykes were two cars behind. "Do you honestly believe that I would have allowed either of us to embark on this without thinking it through?"

"I'm not convinced that either of you are thinking at all," Provenza muttered. "What about your careers," he pointed out again. "Have you thought about that?"

Sharon chuckled. "Louie," she used his name, because by this point in their lives, they'd earned that right and no one was there to hear it. "I think you and I both know that the three of us don't have much career left. To answer your question, yes, I have. If nothing else, can you at least trust me to make sure there aren't any rules broken?"

He looked at her and rolled his eyes. "Thats the only thing that has kept this from blowing up in both your faces." Provenza shook his head. "Let's just… pretend we're actually going to discuss it. Since this is not a conversation that you and I will _ever_ have again," he gave her a hard look. "_Married_?"

"Which bothers you more," She asked in a quiet, thick voice. "That he married at all, leaving you alone in your bachelorhood, or that he married me." Sharon tilted her head at him. "I thought we had moved past this."

"Oh, don't get all emotional," Provenza's lip curled. "It has nothing to do with you. I think you're both equally idiotic for getting married at all, but no… it's not about the _who_. I'm his partner! He didn't even tell me he was going to _ask_!"

"If it makes you feel better," Sharon looked straight ahead. "He didn't tell me either." She chewed on the corner of her lip and slanted a look at him. "I think you're completely entitled to be put out with him for that. Gavin isn't exactly pleased with me either, you know. We were so busy thinking about our kids, the rest of our family completely slipped our minds. For that, I really am sorry."

"Hm." He grunted at her. Provenza glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Well, would wonders never cease. Sharon Raydor was calling _him_ family. "I still think you're a wicked witch."

"I can live with that." The corners of her mouth twitched. "I still think you're a cantankerous old trouble maker. What was it that you told Taylor? You know more about homicide than I have time to learn?" Sharon's eyes sparkled at him. "You're right about that, and however much you like to grump and complain, I really do need your continued assistance, experience, and instruction."

Provenza's eyes narrowed. He glanced at her again and grunted. "Yes well." His hands tightened on the steering wheel. "You're still a pain in my backside, and you still have a lot to learn." He followed the cars in front of him and pulled into the lot of the apartment complex where Warsen was living. "But," he said at length, "if that idiot Flynn gives you any crap, let me know. I can still handle him. It's been too long, and he only had the one. He's forgotten what it's like being married. He's going to screw it up, you'll have to be ready to cut him some slack."

"Unfortunately, Lieutenant," Sharon smiled at him and swallowed back the knot in her throat. "I'm afraid it's been a very long time for me as well, so I'm sure he won't be the only one making mistakes. If it makes you feel any better, after being married to Jack, there isn't a lot that Andy can do that is going to _screw it up_."

"It does," he admitted as he put the car in park. "It means the two of you might not be as idiotic as I think. I won't hold my breath." Provenza looked at her, and his gaze wasn't quite as dark or angry as it was before. "Just tell me one thing. You're not one of _those_ wives are you? The kind that nag if he goes out for a drink with his pals? Or a game?"

Her lips pursed and she fought the smile. "Well," she said at length. "Considering that Andy doesn't drink, and he would be acting as your designated driver, I would be remiss to engage in any _nagging_, wouldn't I? As for the other… as long as the two of you don't come between me and my hobbies, I certainly won't be coming between you and yours. Are we agreed?"

"You've got a deal." Provenza pushed the door of his car open and got out.

Sharon laughed softly as she followed him. They both moved to the rear of his car, and she stood back while he opened the trunk. They donned vests, just as the rest of their team was doing. Then Sharon checked the clip in her handgun and slipped another into her utility belt.

Provenza was doing the same, then looked at the large case in his trunk. "Do you prefer the Remington, or…"

"The Browning." She made a face at him and reached in to pick it up. The .12 gauge had a thick stock and barrel, but was light and easy to maneuver.

"You know that doesn't shoot bean bags." He smirked at her.

"Yes I do," Sharon returned his smirk. "Should I demonstrate for you just how proficient I am with it?"

"I believe you." He turned and walked back, quickly, to join the others.

"Detective Sanchez," Sharon joined them moments later. "This is your show. How do you want to proceed?" It was Julio who had uncovered the truth behind Grey's partnership with Warsen, and his investigation by Internal Affairs. Then Sharon had made some calls to her old department, and after a few, careful inquiries, they had the details.

"Yes ma'am," he suppressed a small grin and unrolled a schematic of the apartment complex. The team, as well as their SIS backup gathered around the hood of his car. "We have five buildings in the complex with a common courtyard and pool. Warsen lives here," he tapped the building near the center, marked D. "He's on the third floor, number 18. His girlfriend lives with him, but we don't expect there to be anyone else in the residence." He paused to glance up at the others. "I think we should flank the building. Sykes with Lieutenant Provenza, will come up the left side here," he traced their path. "Then Lieutenants Tao and Flynn on the right. Ma'am, you're with me," He looked up and gazed at the Captain. "We'll come up the middle from the back. SIS will spread out and cover all of us."

Beside him, she saw Flynn stiffen, at least marginally. His eyes darkened, and he glanced at her, just briefly, before his jaw clenched. It was that fine line again, the one they were carefully maneuvering. It was also the nature of their jobs, and however much either of them might like to, they couldn't interfere. Right now she was his Captain, the wife was left at home. It was hard, they never pretended that it was simple to separate the two. Often it was downright painful. Now was one of those times. Sharon kept her attention on Sanchez, but her thumb swept inward and twisted her rings. She was not unaffected, although she was careful to appear as much. "Good job, Detective." Sharon took a moment to study the layout again before stepping away from the car. Her gaze swept the team, and those who would be with them.

"We can expect that Officer Warsen will be armed," Provenza stated. "No unnecessary risks. Everyone be careful. Sykes," he gestured for her to join him as they headed off to their position.

"Right." Flynn laid a hand on his gun, in its holster. He shared a glance with Sanchez before he looked away, nodding at Tao. The two made their way toward their side of the complex, with SIS officers following them.

Sharon watched him go and her head tilted, curiously, as her gaze moved to Detective Sanchez. She said nothing as the pair of them strode toward the back of the complex, around behind Building D. There were SIS officers behind them, in full tactical. She remained silent until they reached position. "Detective," they were waiting for the signal that all of their people were in place. "Tell me something," she kept her voice pitched low, "your planning wouldn't have anything at all to do with Lieutenant Flynn making, in any way, any inappropriate statements about his relationship with me?"

Sanchez fought a grin but was unsuccessful. "No ma'am." He looked at her, dark eyes sparkling. "I don't know what you're talking about, Captain. You and Sykes have the best two guns, aside from myself, and I was thinking that she could keep Lieutenant Provenza out of trouble. He doesn't run, you know."

"Yes I know." Her mouth twitched toward a smile. "So you are telling me that next to Detective Sykes, you believe that I am the best choice to have at your back?" Her brow lifted and she gave him a look that indicated she was not entirely convinced.

"Well," Sanchez shrugged. "I've seen you shoot, ma'am, and if I could get Flynn out of the way for five seconds, that beanbag would be mine. It's not in his desk. I'm starting to think that he keeps it in his pocket."

Sharon pressed her lips together and fought the urge to laugh. "Really." She cleared her throat. "Well. That's… You lot are never going to let me forget that are you?"

"Absolutely not, ma'am." He smiled at her. "It's legendary now."

Sharon shook her head and sighed. "I'm starting to think that maybe you all are the ones that are insane."

"Maybe." He turned his attention back to watching Warsen's building. "Or maybe we just like you. A little bit." He paused before adding. "Some of us more than others." Julio's radio clicked and he picked it up, speaking quietly. "We're a go."

The conversation was put to an end, and they moved up the center of the complex toward their target. The others closed in as well, flanking and surrounding the building. It should have been simple, but as they had learned many times, simple usually went to hell too fast to keep track of how it had all gone wrong.

Officer Warsen was, as they expected, armed. They also expected that he wouldn't go quietly, hoped that it wouldn't come down to that, but they had expected it. When the bullets began flying, they were ready for them. It was just too bad that they would never be able to get Warsen to tell them exactly why he believed that Ian Grey had been behind his open IA investigation. SIS had taken him down while Major Crimes had attempted to talk him out.

They would at least not have to deal with an FID investigation. Leave that to SIS, they were used to it. What they had to deal with instead was an unhappy Flynn, who had taken one in the vest. He let out another string of curses while the paramedics on scene pressed on the obviously bruised, and possibly cracked ribs of his right side.

"Quit whining," Provenza was watching and shaking his head. "That's what happens when you're an idiot."

"Better my vest than Tao's head," Flynn winced and cursed again. "I think we've established that it hurts, asshole."

"I'm not going to argue with that logic," Mike stated. The rest of the team was gathered around as well, either having already given their statements to FID or waiting to do so.

"I think we can all agree the alternative was better," Sharon joined them. Her gaze swept Flynn before she turned to Provenza. "Lieutenant?"

"Vest caught it," he replied. "The idiot did his usual idiot in shining armor impersonation, although this time, with good result and reason. That bullet would have gotten Tao in the head if he hadn't gotten in front of it. We'll give him a stupidity pass this time."

"I see." Her hands found her hips and she turned to watch as well. "Although, if he doesn't stop acting like a belligerent ass," she said loudly enough for him to hear her. "I'm going to write him up for acts of stupidity. Let the paramedic do his job, Lieutenant."

Andy glared at her. "You get poked in the ribs after taking one in the vest and see how much you like it, Captain."

"I don't think they're broken," the paramedic finally said. "But I would recommend getting them x-rayed."

"Right." Andy tugged his white undershirt down and pulled his blue dress shirt closed and began buttoning it again. "I'll pass, thanks."

"No, he won't." Sharon arched a brow at him. "You'll go and get them checked out. I expect a full report on the matter, Lieutenant, and a clean bill of health before you return to the station. Lieutenant Provenza, why don't you accompany him. If he gives you any trouble, write him up."

"Yes ma'am." Provenza grinned. "I will most definitely do exactly that. Come on," he waved his partner forward. "I'll drive. Let's go… you heard the Captain. Clean bill of health."

"What about my statement," Andy continued to scowl at her. "I haven't spoken to FID yet." He smirked, throwing her own rule back in her face.

"Hm." Sharon looked around, and spotting who she needed, called out. "Sergeant Elliot." She waved him over and smiled brightly when he jogged over. "Sergeant," she laid a hand on his arm. "Lieutenant Flynn needs to give his statement so that he can seek medical treatment. Would you mind terribly moving him to the top of your list?"

"No problem, Captain." Elliot smiled back and flipped a page in his notebook. "Lieutenant, if you'd just tell me what you witnessed, we can get this out of the way."

"Thank you, Sergeant." Sharon turned on her heel and strode away, wearing a triumphant grin.

Provenza chuckled. "Flynn, never try to out Captain the Captain. Hey Elliot, let's walk and talk." He tapped the young Sergeant on the arm and began striding toward his car. He was thinking he might just have a new appreciation for that Elliot kid… well, maybe not, but he wouldn't let Flynn know that.

"He's not going to be happy," Sanchez stated, once the Captain had rejoined him and the others.

"No, detective," Sharon smiled. "I imagine that he won't be, but I'd rather an unhappy Lieutenant than a possibly, badly injured one. Alright, let's get this wrapped up and get back to the office. I would like to close our case tonight, if possible." They had the evidence that tied Warsen to Grey's death, now they just needed to close it out.

The team disbursed back to their vehicles and returned to the station. It was a few hours before Lieutenants Provenza and Flynn rejoined them, the latter carrying a note from the Emergency Room physician. He walked into Sharon's office and slipped it onto her desk, on top of the report she was working on. "Happy?"

She arched a brow and looked up at him. He was still in a surly mood, and she was certain part of that was the ache in his middle, but a good deal of it would be Provenza winding him up all the way to the hospital, during the wait, and all the way back. Sharon made a show of reaching for the note and turning it around. She tilted her head while she read, and then slipped it to the side of her paperwork. "I am, actually. I'm glad that you weren't more seriously injured, Lieutenant. Now, since the doctor saw fit to allow you to return to work, I would suggest closing out your report on the Grey case, so that you can wrap up the Lowry case as well."

His jaw twitched from holding it clenched so tightly. Andy ground his teeth together. When Sharon finally looked up, there was enough relief behind her cool gaze to make him relax, at least marginally. He was still in a sour mood, but it wasn't her fault. He recognized when it was time to rein it in. Otherwise, he'd find himself sleeping in the spare room, and that mattress would have him hurting like hell in the morning. "Yes ma'am."

"Good." She smiled at him and the coolness faded from her eyes. Sharon gazed at him for a moment before her attention returned to her paperwork. "Lieutenant, you'll find that Detective Sykes filled in most of the data on the Lowry case, you'll just need to add any details she missed and sign off on it."

Some of the darkness faded from his mood. The corners of his mouth twitched. "Is that right. Well, I'll get right to it, Captain."

"Thank you." She felt him turn away, more than saw it. When he reached the door, she looked up again. "Andy…" When she had his attention, she tilted her head at him. "I'll be here for a while yet, there's plenty of time," it was spoken in the softer tone, the one usually reserved for him or the children.

He sighed again. When she looked at him like that it was hard to stay annoyed, least of all with her. "Yeah. I'll let you know when I'm done." He slipped out of the office, moving stiffly. He was sore as two kinds of hell, and the aspirin he had taken wasn't doing a damned thing for it.

Sharon watched him go. When he sat, slowly, at his desk, she exhaled quietly. Her hand tightened around her pen and her stomach clenched painfully. They had gotten lucky, all of them, that it hadn't gone any worse. Still, despite the pain that Andy was in now, she couldn't fault his logic either. A few bruised ribs were better than losing Mike Tao. She would make note of that in her report.

It was late before Sharon was ready to leave the office. When Taylor had shown up wanting a briefing with her, the SIS supervisor, and DDA Hobbs, Sharon sent Flynn home by way of Provenza. The fact that he was all too happy to agree spoke of just how badly he was feeling. After the briefing, Taylor held her back.

He waited for the others to leave his office before leaning back in his seat and clasping his hands against his stomach. "Captain. I suppose you know why I asked you to stay."

"I can guess," she crossed her legs and regarded him cooly. "I suppose this has something to do with the status change I submitted earlier this week, and any rumors you might have heard corroborating that fact?"

"You would be correct." He tapped his fingers together. "For the record, there haven't been any rules broken, but there isn't really a rule that concerns the marriage of a ranking officer to a subordinate. The rule is rather vague there, and specifies only a personal relationship. You understand we've entered a… gray zone… for lack of a better phrase. You've put me in something of a difficult position, Captain."

Her brows lifted. Sharon's lips pursed. "I don't see how, Chief. It was several hours before anyone realized that the nature of my relationship with Lieutenant Flynn had changed. Furthermore, he and I have been incredibly discreet with our relationship as a whole. There aren't very many outside my division who are aware of that fact, or believe it to be more than speculation and rumor."

"Yes, but I imagine that is going to change now." He leaned forward, gaze unwavering. "Let's be honest, Captain. I can spare Flynn, I can't spare you. I have to say, right now I'm tempted to transfer him and save us all the headache of having to do it later when this…" He waved a hand at her, "_relationship_ becomes an issue."

"Hm." She clasped her hands in her lap and considered his words. "I see. Well, you can spare Lieutenant Flynn but I cannot. Just this afternoon he knowingly stepped in front of a bullet that saved Mike Tao's life. I need that on this team. That's just one example of how integral he is to my team's continued success. Now, it seems odd to me that you would want to transfer him to another unit after such a selflessly heroic act, and I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one to question that. Furthermore, my _marriage_ is really none of your business or anyone else's. Now, if you have some example of where the Lieutenant and I have crossed a line, I would be very happy to hear it, but if not…" Sharon stood up.

"Captain." Taylor stood as well. "If you step over the line, it might not be Flynn that you have to worry about."

The threat was veiled behind a layer of fake concern. Sharon's teeth ground together. "Permission to speak freely?"

His brow arched. To this, Taylor was curious enough that he nodded. "Go right ahead, Captain."

"Let's stop pretending that I'm here because you want me to be, Russell. I'm here because Chief Pope wants me here. Now you can either fire me, retire me, or let it go." He had returned to his seat, and so Sharon placed her hands against the desk and bent over it. Her eyes had gone a shade darker, nearly jade with her irritation. "My personal life is none of your business as long as I keep it out of this station, and I have, which you know otherwise you wouldn't be grasping at straws… and you wouldn't have taken three days to grasp at those straws. Now if you would like to continue down this particular path, I suggest you file a formal complaint, but when questioned about why I believe you're calling my ethics onto the carpet… you may find you don't like the answers I give my _former_ subordinates. That's because I know where all of the darkest secrets are hidden, and that's exactly why Pope put me here, to keep an eye on you. I'm his insurance policy, let's not pretend otherwise, and while we're at it, let's stop pretending that you don't know that, because it is exactly why the promotion that I was promised was swept under the veil of the hiring freeze, by _you_. Come at me with threats concerning a member of my team again, and you won't like my response. Are we clear, _Chief_."

"Crystal." That could have gone better. He searched for a way to salvage the moment, and couldn't find one. She was right. He didn't want her nipping at his heels, and he knew full well that she was meant to keep him from nipping at Pope's. It was well played, but he couldn't help but think that she had wasted this particular card on Flynn, of all people. "Keep it out of my station, and I have no reason to suspect your motives, Captain." He leaned forward in his seat, eyes narrowing. "Let's make one thing clear, however, the first time either one of you steps over the line, you won't like _my _response, are _we _clear?"

She returned his gaze. It was clear she had the upper hand, and he was attempting to save face. Sharon arched a brow at him. "Crystal," she stated plainly. It was important that she not allow him to believe that he had regained his footing, and so she stared him down for a moment before turning on her heel and striding confidently from the room. It was a tactic she had employed for many years, long before Major Crimes even existed.

Sharon left the office after that meeting. She stopped for dinner on the way home, picking up the vegetarian lasagna that Andy liked so much from the little Italian place between their house and the office. When she reached the house, she juggled dinner, her purse, and keys as she let herself in. The reason for that ended up being Flynn, asleep in his recliner, with a game playing quietly on the large flatscreen. She placed dinner and her purse on the bar that separated the living room and kitchen and dropped her keys beside them. Then she walked over and eased a hip onto the arm of his chair.

The backs of her fingers were gentle, warm against his cheek. His eyes fluttered open and she smiled. "Hi."

"Hi." He looked up at her. He curled his arm around her waist and drew her down, only to groan loudly when the action jolted him and he throbbed all over. "Damn. Not the smartest thing I've done today." He had pulled her down on his uninjured left side, but it still hurt like crazy. "No…" His arm tightened around her. "Don't move. I want you right there." His left hand slid up to tangle in her hair. He breathed shallowly, forcing air between his lips. When he could unclench his jaw, Andy drew her mouth to his for a kiss. "That's better."

"Liar." She settled into the little space between him and the side of the recliner, trying to keep as much of her weight off him as possible. It was just wide enough for the two of them. "How bad is it?"

"You never want to know." His fingers threaded through her hair and stroked gently. "It's not the first time. I'm not going to feel great for a couple of days, but it'll be fine."

"How can I help?" Her hand stroked down his left side. She turned her face into his neck, and her lips were gentle against his skin.

"That's not a bad start." He grinned. "I'm fine, babe." He lifted the remote and turned off the game. Dodgers were losing to the Rangers anyway. Figured. Texas was in a rebuilding year and they were still kicking their butts. It was embarrassing.

"Still mad at me?" She rested her head in her hand and gazed down at him.

He gave her a puzzled look, but it cleared and he smiled. "You? Nope. Might have a thing or two to say to the boss, though."

"Good answer." She leaned down and brushed her lips across his. "I brought dinner, but I don't suppose you're actually hungry?"

"Later, maybe." He pulled her back down against him and closed his eyes. "Just going to stay right here for a while."

"Andy…" In her minds eye she could still see him falling. She turned her face into his shoulder and let out a shaky breath.

"I know." His hand moved up and down her back. "Believe me, I know." There were times he could close his eyes and still see her slumped in the hall of her old condo, bleeding and unconscious, and him not knowing if she was alive or dead, and terrified of finding out. "I'm just glad the kids aren't here."

"Me too," she said quietly. It was bad enough for them, living with police officers for parents, without having to see the reality of it. She shuddered against him and curled as closely into his warmth as she could without hurting him.

They lay there for several long minutes, silent. Andy continued to stroke her hair or her back until she stopped shaking. She didn't cry, but he knew it had given her a bad moment or two, watching him go down. Even if it was his vest, it was hell on the nerves. When she relaxed against him, he opened his eyes again. "Want to tell me how Sanchez ended up with my beanbag."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sharon pressed her lips together and tried hard not to smile. "I didn't realize you still had that old thing. Honestly, Andy. What would people think… and while we're on the subject of that… When did you task Julio with being my personal body guard?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he parroted back at her. "I thought that was my job. He must have tasked himself with it," he said easily, evading. "I can't help it if Sanchez has taken it upon himself to protect his Captain."

"Andy." She sighed in exasperation.

"Sharon." He arched a brow at her. "I don't have to ask Julio to do anything, okay? I didn't cross that line. If he inferred that I would be grateful, that's on him, and I am. He was there that night, remember? It's his choice, but I'm not going to complain or ask him to back off." Andy lowered his head again and grinned. "Unless he doesn't stop checking out your legs, then we're going to need to have a chat."

"Hmm." She turned her face into his neck again. "Well, he can look if he wants to, but it isn't going to do him any good. I'm a married woman."

"Yes you are." Andy smirked. "But Sharon…" He paused before adding, tone serious, or as much as he could manage. "Do me a favor. This time, babe, no dating."

"Oh god." She pressed her face into his shoulder and shook with silent laughter. "Well," she said, muffled against his shirt. "Since I was dating you, I don't think it will be an issue."

"I'm going to hold you to that." He would have laughed, but it would hurt. Instead he pressed his lips against her hair. When she toed off her shoes and curled her right leg around his, he smiled and moved his hand back into her hair to massage her scalp. Andy laid his other hand against her thigh and closed his eyes again.

She hummed quietly. It never failed to relax her, the feel of his fingers against her scalp. Her eyes drifted closed again and her lips curved into a smile. "Andy."

"Yeah, babe," he mumbled, already half asleep again.

"Love you," she laid her hand against his chest and quietly counted each beat of his heart.

"Hm." His lips found the top of her head. "Me too." His fingers stroked down to her neck and back up again. "Go to sleep. I'm not going anywhere."

"See that you don't," she ordered, before fully relaxing against him.

"Bossy witch." His lips formed a small, tired smile.

She thought back, briefly, to the encounter in Taylor's office and smiled. "You have no idea." That was, however, a conversation for another time. For now, she just wanted to lay there against him and feel him warm, solid, and alive.

It was some time later before Andy stirred again. It was dark in the living room and he knew that Sharon was gone by the missing weight and warmth of her against him. He had just a brief moment of panic before he realized that the foyer light was on, illuminating the room just enough that he could see the bottle of aspirin and glass of water on the table beside his chair. They hadn't been there earlier. He eased up in the chair and let the footrest down. His side was stiff, and his entire body ached with the effort to just move. Andy palmed two pills and chased them with half the glass before he bothered trying to stand up.

He spied Sharon's purse, still laying on the bar, and he noted her phone was plugged into the charger. That chased away any thoughts that the team had been called out again. Dinner, he also noted, had been put away. Andy grimaced as he walked stiffly toward the stairs. He knew she wouldn't disturb him, not even to move him, and he hadn't noticed her leaving so he had been pretty out of it. A glance at the alarm clock beside the bed, once he reached their bedroom, told him that it was past midnight and into the wee hours of the morning.

Andy let himself into the attached master bath and quietly changed so that he could ease into bed. He was wishing for something stronger than aspirin by the time he was finished. He was relieved to finally sink into bed, and rolled onto his uninjured side to reach for his wife. It was a thought that, despite the aching of his body, still brought a smile to his lips. He draped an arm around her waist and dropped a kiss against the back of her shoulder.

It was still a hell of a thing, and if anyone asked, he would still call it luck. He might think he was dreaming, but for the pain of his bruised ribs. Maybe his partner was right, maybe they were insane, especially him. He was the one who had stepped in front of a bullet, entirely on purpose and he'd do it again given the outcome and the alternative. He didn't know in what universe it was possible that this woman would actually love him, of all people, but he was going to hold onto it for as long as he could. Hold on tight and lever look back, and just keep thanking whatever power in the universe it was that had given her to him. His wife could be right, it might not be luck, but whatever it was… he wasn't going to take it for granted.

She sighed when he pulled her back against him, and her legs curled back to tangle with his. Andy smiled again. Her feet were always cold. His hand splayed across her stomach and he pressed his lips against her ear. "Love you," he whispered, and felt her settle completely, and relax back into sleep.

If this was how the rest of his life was going to be, he could deal with that. Bruised ribs and other minor catastrophes not withstanding, it was still a hell of a life.

_~FIN_


End file.
